The Web-Based Environment: A Participatory Theory-Based Design Process for Development and Evaluation

Web-based environment has become a dominant factor in business, academia and everyday life. As a consequence, internet service providers and application service providers have created a revolutionary new model for driving new applications, hardware and software development. However, many of the developmental approaches lack two important considerations needed for implementing web-based environment; integration of the user interface design with participatory design and development of the evaluation framework to improve the overall quality of web-based environment. This study addressed these two weaknesses while developing based on a user participatory, web-based environment for Online Digital Talking Books production system using streaming media technology (ODTBs). The research goals of the study focused on the improvement of the design process and usability of the web-based environment based on a theory-based Participatory Integrated Design Process (PIDP). Results indicated that the proposed PIDP was effective in that the study showed the main goal of project had been achieved. The PIDP provides excellent potential for develop and evaluation. The process is easy, effective access to information and also implies an integrated performance of development method. The study also confirmed that for a web-based environment to be successful, various aspects of the online environment should be considered such as application domain knowledge, conceptual theory, user interface design and evaluation about the overall quality of the design environment.