Website Design for Historical Study Group

The Queensland Colonial Forces Study Group represents a group of historians and researchers who have joined together to collectively locate, collate, analyse and disseminate information and knowledge on the naval and military forces of colonial Queensland from 1860 to the establishment of the Commonwealth Military Forces in 1901.

They received a grant from the Queensland Government to create a website that made this information accessible to the general public. They also wanted group users (by invitation only) to be able to share resources and contribute information to the site in a private, logged in section fo the webiste.

Website Design Process

The site foremost had to be user-friendly so that the public could quickly find information they were looking for and understand why the site existed. The content architecture was mapped out allowing for the historical and the research specific parts of the site to be kept separate. It was important to have a links area and although small to begin with, the members of the group have the ability to log in and upload new links whenever they want.

The search function was also an important aspect as public users could search for names of people or towns that may be mentioned on the site.

A photo gallery is yet to be added but this will add another great aspect to what should be an ever-growing resource of information.

The member area not only allows the group members to submit links which can then be viewed by the public, but it also allows members to upload and share research reports and documentation between themselves.