Test version of the new ČKA website

In connection with the creation of the Communication Strategy document, which emerged with the clear goal of opening the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) more towards the outside and further supporting Czech architecture both abroad and on the domestic scene, and according to the commitment made at the General Assembly in 2012, the Working Group for Architecture Promotion is preparing to launch a new ČKA website.

The new Chamber portal is aimed not only at architects themselves but also at clients and potential clients. It will serve to promote architecture and related events. The fundamental goal of the website, which is to open the ČKA not only to its members but also to both professional and lay public, is best described by the structure of the webpages, which are based on architects' profiles. By filling them out, each architect will be able to make themselves known and present their work clearly and with attractive graphics. In this regard, active collaboration from members and, above all, their opinions, which the Chamber has been interested in for the long term, is necessary. For this reason, on January 15, 2014, an informational email (see below) was sent to more than 3,500 ČKA members with a link to the test version of the website.

It is worth noting that it is not entirely common for such internal and still fundamentally work-in-progress links to be provided by any organization in such large numbers to all its members. Nonetheless, the ČKA offered the test version of the website to its base to heed the calls for transparent functioning of the Chamber and also to provide them with the opportunity to participate in the creation of the new website. In the informational email that the Working Group for Architecture Promotion attached to the link, there was more or less a formal but all the more logical request that this link should not be shared further by any ČKA members. The information was highlighted in the text, and no one from the Competition Working Group members or staff from the ČKA Office, who are involved in preparing the new website, anticipated that the link would be misused, which unfortunately happened. Ten hours after the email was sent, the mentioned link appeared in the introduction of the Archiweb newsletter, whose editor-in-chief is authorized architect Jan Kratochvíl. Thus, anyone who subscribed to the newsletter at www.archiweb.cz could read the link to the test version of the website, in addition to the authorized architects.

This situation is unfortunate for several reasons. The link did not contain any information indicating that it is a working and not fully active version of the website. Furthermore, there was no accompanying explanatory text that would place the structure and state of the test version of the website in the appropriate context. The third and most solid reason is a breach of trust with which the ČKA turned to its members. We must now ask whether it was really necessary. The Chamber is exposed to criticism from its members as well as the public 365 days a year. It responds to it, tries to cope with it, and in moments when it is constructive, it seeks to build upon it. When launching the new website, we were again prepared for this criticism and we are happy to deal with it. However, what we were truly unprepared for was the fact that the test version would be assessed by those to whom it certainly does not belong at this stage. It is only worth adding that for trust to be meaningful, it must be mutual.

 
Full text of the accompanying email to ČKA members regarding the launch of the new website dated January 15, 2014:

Dear members of the Czech Chamber of Architects,
In connection with the preparations for the new ČKA website reaching its peak, we are now moving on to the next step – providing you with the opportunity for comments and suggestions on the test version of the website that we are sending you. To start, we have some information about what all the test version includes and how the web portal has gradually taken its current form.

We would like to remind you that the version you currently have is a working version. At this point, the content of the website is not yet fully final. The data you are used to from the existing website is gradually being imported, and the content is constantly updated. While working with the test version and during subsequent commenting, please focus more on the structure and concept of the website rather than its content (for example, whether the structure of the portal is user-friendly, the logical flow of individual sections and subsections, etc.).

How it all began
In 2011, the working group for architecture promotion commissioned a communication strategy that arose out of the need to make the Chamber accessible to its members, and to make its presence known to the public. One of the tools is undoubtedly the organization's website.
At the General Assembly in 2012, the intention to create a new website in line with the principles of the communication strategy was approved. A competition was held, the winner of which, graphic designer Jakub Straka, became the designer not only of the future pages but also of the Bulletin, Yearbook, and the entire visual style of the Chamber.
Meanwhile, an intensive collaboration began between the working group and an expert on website structure. Its structure and basic graphic layout were presented at the General Assembly in 2013. This Assembly tasked the promotion group with finalizing the beta version and providing it to members. Following this, the appearance was refined with the designer, work was done with the coder, and programming commenced. In addition to importing existing sections and articles that you are familiar with from the current website, there will also be added applications, such as an intranet, discussions, and architects' profiles.
 
What is the goal?
It is no accident that the new website is primarily built on your profiles. By filling them out, you will make yourselves known to the public, potential clients, and clients. This new communication resource will not only serve to promote the activities of the ČKA but also to promote architecture as such and you as well. We have also heard the calls for opportunities to discuss and share knowledge. For this reason, a significant part of the ČKA portal will include an intranet where you will have the ability to initiate and lead discussions under individual posts. Communication with the membership base is also important for the Chamber. We perceive it as a well of information and promise to gain valuable insights that will help us to direct support to members in the most suitable way. As mentioned, the intranet and discussions are added applications; we are still working on their processing, so they cannot yet be reflected in the test version.
On the new website, you will gradually find current events and happenings in the field of architecture. Our unequivocal goal is for the new Chamber website to become the first choice when searching for basic information about architecture and related subjects, not only for architects but also for architecture students and related fields, lay and professional public, and media. We believe that the website is constructed in such a way that all these expectations will be met, thanks to your collaboration.

We thus invite you, members of the Czech Chamber of Architects, to provide initial comments and suggestions for the future internet showcase of the ČKA.

This is an important step for us, the development team, so before you click on the link, let us share several fundamental pieces of information:

- the website has 1 homepage (HP) and 4 main sections (Discover Architecture, Collaborate with an Architect, Profession Performance, and Get to Know the Chamber);
- the provided link to the test version of the website is intended only for the membership base – please DO NOT SHARE it further;
- the website has many new sections that are not on the current website and will be filled during the commenting process; we are also aware of most non-functioning links;
- please suggest additional info that should be promoted in individual sections;
- browse those parts of the website that interest you as architects and those parts that you need for informing authorities or groups towards the public / architects;
- please pay attention to the content of the main pages to see if they contain what we want, with adequate communicability and informational accuracy;
- try to view the website as a non-architect, as a future investor, as someone who has decided to build and is thinking about an architect – what do you welcome, what is missing, or should something be highlighted?;
- try registering and completing your profile – registration will subsequently be important for the intranet: http://test.cka.cc/cs/komora (red box “Become a member” – right next to the section title), or directly on the homepage, where the link “Log In” is located at the very top of the page).

Help for registration and profile completion:

1. Step – fill out the form, do not forget to enter your authorization number (the website is linked to the Chamber's database) and select “Authorized Architect” for Account Type;

2. Step – you will receive an email notifying you that your account has been created, along with a link to set your password;

3. Step – log in to the website, but you must wait; your account will be active only after it has been approved by the website administrator;

4. Step – after approval, you will be able to log in;

5. Step – after logging in, click on your name in the top bar to access your profile;

6. Step – at the top, you have a black bar for navigation. On the left, “Edit” for editing your initials (photo, bio), and on the right “Add New Item”, where you can select what you want to add (Project, Publication, Action or Event, or Video);

7. everything you add to your profile is immediately public; no approval is required.

Important link
http://test.cka.cc/cs
 
Due to programming work, the website may run slowly or access may be limited. We will inform you of these facts on the current ČKA website www.cka.cc if necessary.

Please send your comments, suggestions, and feedback to the group at the email web@cka.cc by January 31, 2014. We hope that this day will bring many valuable contributions for creating an exceptional web portal for the Chamber of Architects.

Respectfully, the members of the Architecture Promotion Working Group and the staff of the ČKA Office,

Petr Janda
Markéta Smrčková
Lukáš Brom
Kateřina Folprechtová
Zuzana Hošková

More about the members of the PR Working Group and the employees who collaborated on the new website can be found at the following links:

http://test.cka.cc/cs/vykon-profese/pracovni-skupiny/ps-propagace-architektury

http://test.cka.cc/cs/komora/lide-v-cka/kancelar