A Word About My Work...

So some of you may be thinking: gosh, Laura is just traveling and playing all over Europe (and Asia, now) and it's like one big holiday with no work. True, I am having some amazing experiences and enjoy telling everyone about them through this blog very much. However, I am actually working, too! :) Here's a better description of what I'm doing out here in Woking for Plan:

I’m working on a 3-month web strategy project for Plan International that includes two streams of work. The first and primary stream is an evaluation of the existing international site, including content, information architecture, look and feel, and navigation structure. For this stream, we have enlisted the voluntary support of several UE experts to perform a heuristic (usability) review of the site and compile recommendations, and are also working with a graphic designer to propose a few options for a redesigned look and feel of the site. The second stream involves gathering the requirements for website services requested by the National Offices, which are the Plan offices located in developed countries to raise money (US, UK, Germany, Finland, etc), and determining which services might be most beneficial and cost-effective to offer centrally rather than requiring each office to develop the service, such as virtual gift shops, individually. The final piece of the project is documenting a formal web governance structure for making updates and requesting new services related to the web, etc.

It has been very interesting work and we’re coming along nicely with our deliverables. It’s hard to believe there’s just a month left. When it's time to leave, nothing will be implemented here at Plan, but we will have provided them with Requirements, a professional Heuristic Review with recommendations, a Mock-Up with the proposed redesign of the look and feel, a new Site Map for the existing site, a Business Case with our findings, research on a few website capabilities, and risks and challenges, and an Implementation Road Map with our proposed order of implementations. We are also creating the Governance Structure mentioned above to keep the whole system working well. It will be up to Plan to move forward with this information and determine what recommendations to act on. They might hire more consultants to help, or they might start dedicating their own resources to implement the recommendations.

It's hard to determine what about the office culture here is unique to an NGO and what is different about working in the United Kingdom vs the United States. For one, and this may sound mean, no one here in the office is overweight. I was surprised by narrow doorways and tight spots that wouldn't fly in the US, also because I think we're a bit more 'accessibility-conscious' in terms of wheelchairs and other physical disabilities. Also, there is a sense of formality as people don't open up immediately with informal banter and discussion about private lives. Conversational formalities certainly exist, such as 'How was your weekend?' and others, but without delving into the private details. I appreciate having had the opportunity to also view office environments abroad, but again didn't necessarily spend enough time in each place to make an accurate observation, other than those I've already made, such as the extensive public (tax-funded) programs for mothers-to-be in Finland and the formal structure expected from meetings in West Africa. I just keep my eyes open and try to follow the lead of other people in the offices we visit.

One thing is for sure: I really know what it's like to be the odd one out. I don't really blend in anywhere, especially when I open my mouth to speak and the American accent gives me away. And I'm also completely desensitized to Duty Free shops.