IM @ XIST: The IM Blog

Completed Project: Web 2.0 Planning

XIST analyzed Web 2.0 services, technologies and practices for a Government of Canada department and outlined new opportunities that would support its core business activities. Research included interview sessions with staff, review of industry literature, and use of Web 2.0 services related to social networking, media sharing, social tagging, peercasting, syndication, blogs, wikis, and content mash-ups.

Completed Project: Information Management

XIST provided content evaluation and recommendations for the management and digitization of a large documentary research collection for security, business continuity and access purposes.

Completed Project: Information Architecture

For a federal organization, XIST surveyed users, analyzed site statistics, and provided information architecture recommendations to reposition the site for emerging needs.

Completed Project: Strategic Plan Development

XIST worked in partnership with an Ottawa based content development and research company to deliver a strategic plan that outlined a realistic and viable multi-year strategic plan to manage information resources. The project included content analysis, business process analysis and user needs assessment.

Completed Project: Dspace Customization

XIST configured the open source software, DSpace, for a university library that was interested in implementing an institutional repository.

This is an open source digital repository solution that was customized for the libraries’ purposes, including developing a graphical user interface to reflect the look and feel of the Library’s other systems.

Completed Project: Information Management Strategic Planning

XIST delivered a strategic IM plan for a national legal organization. The planning process involved wide-ranging stakeholder interviews, environmental scan, and assessment of current service and application offerings. The final report emphasized governance and application related issues.

stakeholder interviews
application assessment
strategic planning

Completed Project: Audio Video Development

XIST recently completed the development of product videos for use on a commercial web site and as part of an internet marketing campaign. The videos were shot on location in the summer of 2007 with post production work completed in Ottawa. Work included storyboard design, video photography, audio/video editing, and internet marketing.

video production and editing
internet marketing
web site development

Completed Project: Information Management Strategic Planning

XIST recently completed an assessment of information management processes for a multi-partner government agency to analyze its information management practices and technologies, establish information management priorities, and outline a way forward to improve its information management capabilities. Recommendations included potential development strategies to streamline the organization’s information management operations, control critical sets of data, and position it to better manage increasing workloads and program activities.

stakeholder consultations
business processes mapping
information management processes assessment
strategic planning
user needs assessment

Completed Project: Content Management

XIST recently completed a project for a large government organization to review network file shares organization, develop a sustainable taxonomy and implementation strategy to migrate legacy content.

network file shares analysis
taxonomy development
strategic planning

Completed Project: Web Site Development

XIST recently redeveloped the web site for a Canadian builder of world-class rowing shells and single racing sculls. The project included a broad range of integrated services:

online marketing strategy design
application development and content management system design
content development
user interface design
multimedia podcast development
search engine optimization

The site's content was written specifically for the web to improve search engine optimization and integrate with the online marketing strategy. Development work also included redesigning the site's information architecture and creating an original, graphical user interface design with advanced CSS controlled HTML presentation. XIST developed a customized content management application to assure content consistency, simplify the administration of the site. This CMS also separated the creation and management of the content from it's presentation on the site, allowing the site to be maintained without the intervention of technically skilled administrators. Video and audio format podcasts were also created to provide richer product information.

Completed Project: Document conversion to HTML

XIST recently completed a large-scale conversion of bilingual scientific and computational data from Microsoft Word format documents into HTML format. This included:

template development
quality assurance processing
logical formatting of data for structural integration with CSS controlled HTML presentation

Completed Project: Document Management Systems Analysis

XIST completed a project for a national institution to identify, analyze and recommend publishing systems and strategies to collect, manage, and distribute documents over the Internet. Technologies and systems reviewed included extranet applications; document management systems; web content management systems; and collaborative software, such as groupware, wikis, blogs, and discussion forums. The goal of the project was to identify and rate potential systems - identify their advantages, differences, ideal uses, costs, and resourcing requirements to successfully implement. The final report is intended to help this organization make an informed decision about the appropriate course of action to pursue. Project activities included:

User needs assessment
Software evaluation & research
Strategic planning

Completed Project: Web Site Development

XIST recently developed a new web site for an accounting and bookkeeping company. Services included:

information architecture design
CSS controlled user interface design
content development
search engine optimization, and
online marketing

Completed Project: Information Architecture and Strategic Planning

XIST recently developed for a government organization the strategic plan and information architecture of a portal web site that promotes physical activity to Canadians. The work required:

design and execution of user needs assessment interviews with key stakeholders
extensive online research across three tiers of government web sites to identify similar content offerings and programs
development of recommendations for the new site's purpose, objectives, and design principles
identification and segmentation of potential, key audience types by information and navigation requirements
design of a coordinated, scalable information architecture

Completed Project: Internet Strategic Planning

XIST recently completed a strategic planning project to redevelop a government Internet website. This project included:

stakeholder consultations & focus groups
web survey preparation & data analysis
analysis & recommendations for website governance
information architecture development
preliminary website design mockups