This spring we launched a new mobile-friendly website designed to respond to large and small screens on desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Online registration through the new site started in early May for most Oasis centers and continues throughout the summer.

The good news is that the new online registration process worked well for the majority of people who used it based on survey results. Some examples of what we heard:

“Very easy. Thanks for streamlining the process!”

“It was fairly easy. I’m not a computer whiz, so I typically have a little trouble, but this was really pretty nice.”

At the same time, some people had trouble with the new registration process. We sincerely regret any inconvenience or frustration you may have experienced, and appreciate the suggestions offered for improvement.

We have already made changes in how we manage traffic on the website to prevent long delays, error messages and problems with pages not loading. We have a user test planned in July to ensure this is working well – see below for more about that.

After reviewing more than 300 surveys completed by users, we have identified additional priority changes to improve the process for fall. Here are some highlights of changes we are working on this summer:

• Paying for classes:  you will be able to pay by entering your credit card information on a secure screen on the Oasis website. This will be similar to the previous payment process that we used for registration prior to April. We will no longer use the PayPal process that caused difficulties for some people.
• Adding all classes from your Wish list:  if you place classes on your wish list, you will have the ability to add them all to the shopping cart at one time.
• Class sorting:  classes will appear in order by class number, with the option to sort them by date.
• Receipts will provide more details about classes, waitlists and payments.
• Clarity:  various other changes will be done to provide guidance on how to register

Based on the time available, these are the changes can be completed in August before fall registration begins. There were more good suggestions for improvement that will be considered for future releases.

Testing, testing…

On Thursday July 9 from 12:30 to 1 pm Central time we will test the changes already made to improve performance.  This will be a test of the performance and speed of the site as it is now. The other changes described above will be tested in August. If you can spare 30 minutes to help us with this performance test in July, please sign up here.

I am grateful to everyone who has provided feedback on your experience and helped with testing. Websites are never finished – there is always more we can do to make it better given the time and resources to do it. We will continue to work toward making your experience easy and pleasant.

Welcome to our new website. The launch today is the product of 17 months of collective effort. I am very grateful for all the time that our volunteers and staff have given to help us plan, review and test the site, as well as the fantastic web development team at Golamac Inc.

Here are some of the big changes you’ll see:

• Mobile friendliness. The new responsive design adjusts to smaller screens on tablets and smartphones. If you’re looking at it on a mobile device you’ll see three bars in the upper right corner. Tap there to access the mobile menu.
• What’s going on now? A new calendar tool on local Oasis city home pages highlights classes happening over the next three days, with links to the next seven or 30 days.  To see classes in a familiar calendar format, click “View Calendar” under the Today-Tomorrow boxes.
• Easier class registration – if you register for classes in your local OASIS center online, the new class search screen is designed to make it easier to find classes of interest.
• Convenient class payments – There’s an option to save your payment information for future classes through PayPal’s secure payment site.
• New dashboard – When you log in and click “MyOASIS” you’ll find a new Dashboard. If you take classes at an Oasis center you’ll find your current and previous classes here, plus classes on your Wishlist (formerly known as Bookmarks). We’re already noodling additions to the dashboard with features to support our volunteers.
• Expanded Connections information – if you teach, plan or just want to know more about Connections technology classes, check out the great new detailed Course descriptions from Ken Charvoz.

We’re still smoothing out rough spots. As I mentioned in last week’s update, websites are never really finished. We will continue to make improvements possible with available time and budget. And we appreciate any feedback you have on the site.

Great content is where the goodness happens. And that’s where you can help.

Volunteers are making great contributions to increase the site’s value by writing blogs, taking photos and posting about Oasis on social media.  Volunteers keep our program information updated online and support our programs in innumerable ways. I appreciate all that our volunteers are doing and welcome anyone who would like to get involved at the local or national level. We have lots of ways to help.
If you’d like to know more, please email me.

Onward and upward!

The Oasis website is currently in transition through Sunday March 29. We will be back up and running Monday March 30.

In the meantime, here’s some background on the development of the new site.

In November 2013 at a meeting of Oasis board members, volunteers and staff, the Oasis Institute started to lay out plans for a new website, one that would be easier to navigate, and friendly to use on mobile devices like tablets and smart phones. Over the next 6 months we dove into our business requirements to define the project scope. We planned a site map and visual design. So far, so good.

Through conversations with staff and volunteers around the Oasis network we heard some great ideas for improvement. And as the development process moved forward we identified some more tweaks. OK, lots more. We learned how lofty a goal a complete scope can be. It’s a little like going on vacation. You know you are going to forget something; it’s just a matter of time before you figure out what it is.

We have soldiered on to make the best decisions about enhancements that are doable with the available time and resources and are ready to put a stake in the ground.  This has only been possible with the help of some very talented and dedicated people, most notably . . .

• Golamac Inc, the web development firm helmed by EJ Brewer, who has guided us through three major website transitions (this one being the most gigantic by far) and generously contributed many hours to find ways to resolve issues and make it happen
• Jeremy Wagner, the Oasis Institute’s IT architect/System administrator/Database designer/Security chief and mastermind of The Basement Arcade
• The Oasis development team of Niki Newcomb, Ron Wisdom, Amy VanDeVelde and Ken Charvoz
• Many volunteers and staff members  who helped with planning, development, content and testing
• AT&T Foundation and Anthem Foundation, who have provided generous support for our educational and volunteer programs, including essential investments in the technology to support those programs

I am deeply grateful to all of you for getting us to this point.

And so after 17 months of design, content update, testing and redesign we are ready to move forward. Is it finished? Websites are never finished.  We continue to get good suggestions to make it even better and look forward to settling in and incorporating more of those ideas over the coming weeks and months.

Feel free to share any observations about the site on our website feedback page – attaboys and suggestions appreciated!