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Nissan Online Training Resources Proposal
Challenge:
Design an involving one-stop online world of training resources
Q: How do you squeeze roughly 10 years of training resources — with more being created all the time — into a single Web site?
A: Carefully.
The “squeeze” premise kicked off the challenge to convert years of existing training materials into an online publishing utopia. Nissan asked us for an online delivery concept for training materials. Here, automotive dealerships would access training information, news, reference materials, skill-improvement articles, and items of interest in an interactive, user-friendly setting that encourages return visits.
In addition to providing comprehensive information, the Web site would reduce printing costs. And it could bring new life to older materials that are still relevant, but perhaps dormant.
Converting existing materials into an effective online tool required more than a “scan and go” approach. The writing needed to be converted to a Web-friendly style, the content and navigation organized, and the site intuitive to use. And in this case, it all had to be done in one site.
Solution:
A friendly, robust, and compelling resource with “made-for-me” content
Our goal was to design a Web site that was broad and compelling, yet personally targeted at a user’s job responsibilities. Enough material should be available that visitors would want to return, and when they returned, their first exposure would be to new, updated information.
The site would be experienced as a live, dynamic, and constantly growing resource targeted at a visitor’s specific job responsibilities. Navigation would be familiar, and the information and layout would encourage exploration.
We proposed a site design that allows users to investigate their interests at their own pace, while exposing them to materials that they might not be aware of. Visitors can find what they need in a clear, reader-friendly format, and then can choose to learn about related subjects.
For example, an article that mentions a vehicle’s engine might link to information about the engine, which can lead to a summary of features and benefits, which can lead to a comparison page of other engines, which can lead to related topics of interest — or none of the above. The choice is up to the reader, and the options are clear. The reading is never “Uh-oh, sorry I asked” heavy pages of text.
To maximize our client’s existing investment in training resources, we focused on initially repurposing materials for online delivery. This included articles, manager meeting guides, tips for sales consultants, technical information, competitive information, and an encyclopedia.
Additional tools and information would be incorporated as they were developed. Long-term flexibility was part of the game plan — we had to anticipate a future of changing materials, delivery methods, and online technologies. The resulting proposal was the ultimate blend of our collective capability: deliver what exists, expand on what can be done, and lay the groundwork for the future.
    
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