Recommendations for the Redesign of the Queens County Farm Museum Website
Wendy Jiménez, Nicole Johnson, Katherine Jolie, Justine Kessler, 2020 Showcase
Recommendations for the Redesign of the Queens County Farm Museum Website: Queens County Farm Museum (QCFM) in New York is a historical farm complex dating back to the 17th century. It is in the process of transitioning into a sustainable agricultural and educational community center. After a detailed review, we concluded that the QCFM website (http://queensfarm.org) will benefit from a much needed redesign. We observed that the current site lacks search functionality, features many hyperlinks, is text heavy, is inconsistent with partner sites, and shares outdated information. The redesign should focus on usability and accessibility. The inclusion of all active social media platforms will improve brand consistency and its visual appeal. This redesign will convey a sense of modernity, capitalize on increased revenue opportunities, and promote key partnerships. User testing will involve card sorting and a community survey followed by an assessment meeting to discuss results and next steps to proceed with the aforementioned elements for redesign.
Wendy Jiménez is a first semester student in the MLIS program at SJSU. Upon graduating with a double major in History and Latin American Studies and a minor in photography from NYU, she pursued her passion of working in the arts. A native New Yorker enamored by museums such as the Met, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in Art History with a concentration in Museum Studies at the City College of New York. After working as a museum educator and curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, International Center of Photography, and the Queens Museum, Jiménez fell in love with archival work. Currently she works as archivist and curator for a private art collection as well as a metadata archivist for Great Bowery in New York City. Her intent is to work as an archivist that combines a marriage of her interests in art and public history.
Nicole Johnson is a current SJSU iSchool student and a Library Assistant working at a public library in Northern Michigan. She began her library journey as a volunteer in 2013 and has been passionate about librarianship ever since. In May 2020, she graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in English. She is excited to continue working on her MLIS degree and hopes to become a Young Adult Librarian. In her spare time, she loves to travel, read, and write.
Katherine Jolie is a Young Adult Associate with eight years of experience working in public libraries. She graduated in 2003 with a degree in English Literature from Towson University and is currently pursuing her MLIS with SJSU.
Justine Kessler resides in Philadelphia, PA and is currently in the MLIS program at SJSU. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a BA in Studio Art and Psychology, she ran an art supply store in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood for many years. There, she developed her love for community building and local history. Since moving to Philadelphia she has continued her work as an artist, podcast host and producer, as well as an assistant in the Digital Services department of a local historical archive.