Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
FINAL PROJECT
COUNSELING CENTER
By
Younes El Khadiri, Naziha Houki, Majda Rochdi, & Maha Zarki
Technical Communication COM 3325
Professor Dore Michelut
Spring 2008
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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Communication Department
Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane
th
May 10 , 2008
Dr. Belfekih,
Our team developed a communication project aimed at improving the psychological support
Al Akhawayn University offers to its students. After the analysis of the health centre website
and several interviews we realized that many students suffer from psychological disorders and
need professional help. However, our background research showed that there was a lack of
competent staff and a lack of information on campus. Therefore, our project offers three
different portals that guide students towards professional help via an awareness campaign
about the establishment of a new department called the Counselling Centre. This new
department offers the help of two professionals, a counsellor and a psychologist with different
specialties. To make sure that the students concerned with psychological disorders take their
first step towards recovery we created a website, a pamphlet, and a poster, which inform the
students about the Counselling Centre in a comprehensive manner. Students will have access
to the Counselling Centre website via Al Akhawayn’s website. The pamphlet, which will be
available in the university professors’ offices and the health centre, invite the students to visit
the website. The poster will be displayed in the dormitories, the class buildings, the student
activities office, the restaurant, and the cafeteria.
The Student Affairs office is financing our project. The business department allocates the
budget of student affairs for their communication expenses. The business department is ready
to invest 2000 DH for advertising and printing. Thus, we planned a budget to provide you
with efficient communication tools for no more than your initial investment proposition.
The cost of design is:
- 600 dh for the website
- 700 dh for the poster
- 400 DH for the pamphlet.
TOTAL COST FOR THE DESIGN IS: 1700 DH
TOTAL COST FOR PRINTING IS: 300 DH
Our initial technical communication documentation was including informational packages, a
presentation of the counselling centre, and basic contact information. However, our audience
analysis revealed that our readers and primary audience are concerned primarily with privacy
and trust issues. More than that, a certified French psychologist, Newal El Jaouhari, explained
that informational packages might lead to self-diagnosis and self-medication, which is never
the goal with psychological disorders. As a result, the three documents are aimed at reaching
out for students in need of these particular services and to gain their trust.
Finally, the evaluation of the technical documents showed that this communication strategy
responds perfectly to the needs of students who cope with stress everyday and are still trying
to know themselves. We encourage the Student Affairs to consider this project as a necessary
support for students who, even if they display great responsibility and control, need guidance
and support from professionals.
Sincerely,
The Communication Department
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Executive Summary………………………………………………………………..(P.4)
2. Topic Analysis …………………………………………………………………….(P.5)
3. Primary Research ………………………………………………………………….(P.6)
a. Methodology………………………………..(P.6)
b. Heuristics …………………………………..(P.6)
c. Interview 1………….………………………(P.6)
d. Interview 2 ………….………………………(P.7)
e. Interviews …………………………………..(P.9)
i. Health Center Doctor …(P.9)
ii. Psychologist …………..(P.10)
4. Audience Analysis………………………………………………………………..(P.12)
5. Secondary Research ……………………………………………………………...(P.13)
a. Health center of Al Akhawayn University website analysis (P.13)
b. Health Center of York University website analysis ……….(P.14)
6. Usability Test of the TCP…………………………………………………………(P.16)
a. Counseling Center Website ………………….(P.16)
b. Counseling Center Brochure ………………...(P. 16)
c. Counseling Center Poster…………………… (P.17)
7. References…………………………………………………………………..……(P.18)
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Counseling Center is meant to help students through the experience of two
professionals, a counselor and a psychologist. Studies have shown that persons that suffer the
most from psychological disorders such as depression, an anxiety crisis, anorexia nervosa or
bulimia nervosa are adolescents and young adults. Studies have also shown that each person
goes trough these crises at least once in a lifetime, in a particular phase. This project aims to
help AUI students who may suffer from psychological disorders trough the creation of a
Counseling Center. A website, posters and pamphlets are created to inform students about the
existence to this new department and the role it can plays in helping students fighting against
these disorders.
A primary research was done involving both internal and external sources. Students
and professionals were given a questionnaire in order to help us focus our topic.
A secondary research was also done. It involved the analysis of AUI Health Center
Web page and University of York’s Health Center Website.
A usability test of the TCP was also done and showed that our home page makes the
purpose of the website very clear, trough sections it contains, colors and fonts used, and the
links available. Concerning the brochure, colors chosen are the same as in the website in order
to create a certain consistency between the different TCPs. The poster also includes the phone
numbers of the two specialists with their working days.
The budget needed to promote the project using different communication tools is
MAD 2000:
-
MAD 600 for the website
MAD 700 for the poster
MAD 400 for the pamphlet.
MAD 300 for the printing
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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TOPIC ANALYSIS
In 2006, a national study was conducted in Morocco on psychological disorders and it
was based on the methods approved by the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview
(MINI).The results of this study demonstrated that everyone can suffer from psychological
disorders: people from all social backgrounds may be affected by these disorders. However,
adolescents and young adults are the ones who suffer more from these disorders. It is an
important topic; the Moroccan government has made effort to help people that are suffering
from psychological disorders. Unlike the government, the AUI health center does not
contribute in fighting against these diseases. It does not make awareness campaigns about
psychological disorders or provide any help for students who are sick. Students of AUI are
suffering from these disorders and need to be helped. This is the major reason behind our
motivation to do this project.
Psychological disorders are linked together. The common types of psychological
disorders are anxiety, depression, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Unfortunately,
people tend to trivialize these disorders. We want to make aware young people of the effect of
these diseases. For example, they have to understand that depression is not a weakness but a
disease that can lead people to commit suicide. According to the same study that we have
cited above, 15 % of the depressed people commit suicide. To better understand these
disorders, we are providing the definitions of psychological disorders.
Anxiety is part of our daily lives but it becomes a psychological disorder when it is
intense and persistent. Anxiety disorders are psychological disorders. They are characterized
by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety (D.G. Myers,
2005).
Regarding depression, it is a mood disorder in which a person, for no reason,
experiences two or more weeks of depressed moods. Feelings of worthlessness and reduced
interest or pleasure in most activities are the signs of depression.
Concerning anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, they are both eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which a normal-weight person (usually an adolescent
female) follows a diet and becomes significantly (15 percent or more) underweight. Despite
this loss of weight, the person still feels fat and continues the diet until starvation. Adolescent
males can also experience this disease.
People who suffer from bulimia nervosa, experience episodes of overeating of highcalorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise.
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PRIMARY RESEARCH - INTERVIEWS
METHODOLOGY
We based our primary research on the interviews on professionals both at Al
Akhawayn University and from an outside source. First, we asked several questions to our
primary audience which are students suffering from psychological disorders to understand
their needs, how much they know about the topic, and their primary concerns about a
counseling center on campus. The major concern in our heuristics is the fact that we could not
get a male student’s testimonial. We then interviewed one of the Health Center doctors to gain
more knowledge about their protocols and work method concerning psychological disorders
and professional secrecy. Finally, we called a French psychologist to learn more about the
general needs of their patients and the best communication strategies to use in the case of
campus. All this information helped us perform an efficient audience analysis.
HEURISTICS
Interviewee 1 (female, 20)
The interview was conducted in French and translated in English by Naziha
1. Have you ever gone through a depression, an anxiety crisis, anorexia or bulimia?
I suffered from anorexia for two years and then depression
2. How did/do you live this particular phase of your life?
I was going out with a boy that was a drug addict (hashish and cocaine)
when I was anorexic. It stressed me to be with him and I was afraid for him
constantly. During my depression I was unconscious of my problem until one day
I could not get control over my left side of the body and my eye swallowed
enormously. The doctor said it was a nervous response of my body to my
depression a constant worrying. It was again because of a man.
3. How much did you know about the subject?
I did not know a thing about either anorexia or depression until the
doctor started to inform me about it detecting that I was suffering from both
diseases (that happened at different times)
4. Did you feel like you needed help? Why?
Yes I felt it because I was not feeling well and everyday it seemed to get
worst. I needed advice from professionals and trustworthy adults on how to take
care of and control my anxieties.
5. Where did you seek help?
I sought help from my family, relatives, and friends, who guided me to a
good doctor
6. Do you think that an awareness campaign would have helped detecting that you
needed help? Why?
Yes it would have been helpful because I would have maybe detected my
symptoms sooner and maybe trigger my curiosity which would have pushed me
to go sooner to a doctor or psychiatrist. If I were exposed to an awareness
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campaign I would have maybe avoided serious physical consequences of
depression and anorexia.
7. If you knew that there was a special program for you in Al Akhawayn University
would you have followed it? Why?
No, because the doctors at Al Akhawayn are every judgmental and we
live in a small community where any serious matter can turn into an obscene
rumor.
8. How do you feel about the health center?
As I said, the health center staff and doctor is very judgmental and the
least you want when you suffer from these kind of disorders is to face someone
who constantly believes that you exaggerate or that you are crazy. Also, I believe
the doctors are incompetent and do not know how to address personal issues.
9. Do you believe in the health center professional secrecy? Why?
Professional secrecy is difficult to believe because of the small
community we live in. However, I would trust 70 percent more the university
counselors than the doctors or health center.
10. How would you have liked professionals to approach you in this matter?
The doctor and psychiatrist should be interested, concerned, and curious
to help me open up; he also must be trustworthy and available every day; he or
she must earn my trust and have a good reputation.
11. How do you feel about a specialized program for anorexia, bulimia, depression, and
anxiety?
I think these programs work because they provide you with the
possibility to make a change by a simple step: admitting that you have a problem.
They make you aware of the person you have become and leads towards
recovery.
12. What helped overcome this problem?
The medicines helped me a lot and the resolution of my initial problems
finalized it. When my boyfriends were gone, my problem was gone.
13. How do you feel about having a good health center website with enough info about
these psycho disorders and info about how to get help? Brochures about these
disorders and posters attracting your attention to the problem?
Your communication strategy is helpful to initiate the first steps towards
recovery, which is problem recognition and research. However, it is important to
add that professionals are available 24/7 to help and bind to professional secrecy.
Interviewee 2 (Female, 21)
The interview was conducted in French and translated in English by Naziha
1. Have you ever gone through a depression, an anxiety crisis, anorexia or bulimia?
i. Yes, I went through a depression, anxiety crisis and bulimia
2. How did/do you live this particular phase of your life?
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i. Bad really bad. When I was depressed I would sleep a lot, I didn’t want
to do anything, and I didn’t like any food.
ii. During my anxiety crisis, I would smoke a lot, not eat, not sleep, and
have a jaw-ache.
iii. When I was bulimic I would eat without stopping even if I was full,
otherwise I would cry my heart out.
3. How much did you know about the subject?
i. I did not know a lot about each disorder. I started to know better the
symptoms, the effects, and the causes of these disorders when a doctor
medically took care of me.
4. Did you feel like you needed help? Why?
i. I did not feel like I needed help because I thought I was in a normal
state the whole time. I thought it was just who I was and that others
were acting weird with me. I thought that everybody rejected me, so it
was the fault of others if I did not feel good.
5. Where did you seek help?
i. My mother pushed me to seek help, otherwise I would have never
admitted or known about my problem. Then, the psychiatrist was really
helpful and made me realize that I needed his help. At first, going to his
office was insufferable, but after a while I learned to appreciate it.
6. Do you think that an awareness campaign would have helped detecting that you
needed help? Why?
i. Yes, I believe its is useful for teenagers especially who do not share
their life with their relatives generally during adolescence. An
awareness campaign would avoid categorizing these disorders as taboo.
7. If you knew that there was a special program for you in Al Akhawayn University
would you have followed it? Why?
i. No, because I do not trust the doctors and the counselor who do not
have the necessary skills to build a relationship of trust between their
patient and themselves. I would have followed the program if I knew
that the health center and the counselor are independent from the
administration and if they could establish an open dialogue.
8. How do you feel about the health center?
i. I think the health center is a fraud/ rip off because I had many bad
experiences with them for simple symptoms and problems. I was sent
twice to the hospital because of their incompetence. Long story!
9. Do you believe in the health center professional secrecy? Why?
i. It depends on the doctor but still the health center and the
administration are too linked and much information is disclosed at the
expense of the student. Also, they are very judgmental.
10. How would you have liked professionals to approach you in this matter?
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i. I like a strategy based on listening and trust because people who suffer
from depression etc feel the need to disclose personal issues thus they
need good faithful and nonjudgmental listeners.
11. How do you feel about a specialized program for anorexia, bulimia, depression, and
anxiety?
i. This program would be efficient if it is comprehensive because all these
issues are linked together. It is important to know that one can have
many symptoms for these different disorders.
12. What helped overcome this problem?
i. The medicines were not that helpful. I stopped taking them even though
I was told it is very dangerous to interrupt the treatment; but it did not
affect me. What really helped me were my family and boyfriend. I was
well-surrounded and they were very supportive.
13. How do you feel about having a good health center website with enough info about
these psycho disorders and info about how to get help? Brochures about these
disorders and posters attracting your attention to the problem?
i. It is important to be able to have access to information, but I think you
need to attract the attention of these people. A website and a brochure
is useless if nobody knows about them. Hence, posters all around AUI
are a good move to trigger people’s curiosity and to show them that
AUI cares.
INTERVIEW WITH HEALTH CENTER DOCTOR
The interview was conducted in French and translated in English by Naziha
1. Do you have a program for anorexia, bulimia, depression, or anxiety? Why?
No, we do not have a program nor do we do awareness campaigns because these
issues are delicate. Each patient is different and we cannot address a large audience, it is
better to concentrate on an individual case basis. However, a campaign for anorexia would be
possible because they usually develop the same symptoms.
2. Do you follow a particular protocol when you encounter a case of depression or
anorexia, etc? Please, explain.
Yes, we do follow a medical protocol. First, we diagnose the disorder and try to
engage in a dialogue to help the patient to recognize the problem, which is difficult without a
communicative patient. In the case of a minor disorder, we take care of the patient. For
serious disorders we rather lead them towards a good psychiatrist or psychologist.
3. Do the nurses have the possibility to detect the symptoms of these disorders?
They can if the patient explicitly describes his or her uneasiness.
4. During students interviews we asked them if they would follow a program for
depressive, anorexic, bulimic, or anxious people in AUI, they said that they wouldn’t
because they do not believe in professional secrecy of AUI doctors. So, do you obey to
professional secrecy?
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Yes we do. For me, everything that is said in the office stays in the office. However,
in the case of a suicide attempt, we, as professional doctors, warn the parents and the
administration.
5. Does the psychiatrist work in health center?
The psychiatrist is dependent from the health center but we happen to work together
when we advise them to take care of a patient or in other special cases.
6. Do you know why there is no full time psychiatrist?
Since Mrs. Mobasheri, it has been hard to find a psychiatrist who practices in the
area so that we can have one in AUI for more than just one day. We are working on this, but
there are not many psychiatrists who agree to give up their practices’ financial benefits for
office hours in AUI.
PSYCHOLOGIST INTERVIEW
NEWAL EL JAOUHARI
Interview in French translated by Naziha Houki in English
1. How would you subcategorize the following psychological disorders anorexia,
bulimia, depression, and anxiety?
There is no fixed category to these disorders. Anorexia and Bulimia are eating
disorders, while depression and anxiety are psychological disorders, yet both come from
mental pathologies.
2. What is the best way to reach the people who suffer from these diseases?
The best way is when the patient comes to the psychologist by his or her own
initiative. The best approach in a campus or university is for the psychologist to be present
and available at all times. Psychologists aim at preventing the problem. Therefore, he or she
can reach the students by walking around campus and letting people know that he or she is
available and what his or her occupation is. A simple gesture is to leave the door open when
nobody is in the office. These gestures show the competency of the psychologist and show
that he or she can listen to their needs and demands. What they need is not an available doctor
but an available psychologist.
3. We are developing a website and a brochure for the people who suffer from these
disorders. What kind of information would be useful for these people to know?
The best information to put in a website or a brochure is information about the
doctors, counselors, and psychologists; their professional formation and experience in their
field, the programs they are involved in, their overall method, their office hours and phone
numbers to be available at anytime. It is important to mention that the consultations are
confidential and under professional secrecy, that they respect the intimacy of the patient.
4. Do you believe that a website and a brochure would be useful?
Yes, they can be very useful as well as they can be very scary and engender
resentment. They must contain the right information.
5. Will it motivate them to ask for help?
It depends on the information you put in them. It is important to not scare off people.
Do not include direct descriptions of the diseases or disorders, like the direct definition of
depression, its symptoms, etc. This kind of information does not motivate people; it frightens
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them. What is helpful is a questionnaire such as: do you feel like you want to cry at any
second? Do you have a hard time concentrating? Do you sleep all day? Do you eat
excessively?
What you want to avoid is giving them a diagnosis without knowing what they really
have. You must activate the questioning process that will guide them to the psychologist. Do
not include information about how to recover from these disorders, just maybe the symptoms
in the form of a questionnaire. Testimonials are also very helpful.
6. What would be the perfect environment for them to open up about their problems?
An environment of confidence and support, because psychologists are there to
support, accompany and listen to their patients. Thus, a perfect environment is one of
encouragement, openness, and respect.
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
1. Have I determined my explicit (primary) purpose for my product?
2. Have I identified my readers? (Experts, technicians, executives, novices, mixed, age,
culture, language, role)
3. Have I determined their purpose in receiving the product?
4. Have I determined how much they know about the subject?
5. Have I determined what they need to know?
6. What is their attitude towards the product or my organization?
This audience analysis is based on the interviews of two AUI students, a
psychologist, and the health center doctor.
The purpose of our TCP is to inform our primary audience about the most
spread psychological disorders, which are depression, anxiety crisis, anorexia, and bulimia.
All these disorders are stress related, touch a lot of teenagers and young adults and are
difficult to detect by the people going through them and by their relatives or close peers.
Recoveries for these psychological disorders are only conceivable when the person concerned
takes the initiative. Therefore, our goal is to enable the people suffering from these disorders
to seek help to make their first step towards recovery, which is problem recognition.
Our primary audience is AUI faculty, staff, and students who are consciously
or unconsciously suffering from depression, anxiety, anorexia, and/or bulimia. Our secondary
audience is their relatives and peers, who can help detecting the symptoms. The purpose of
our audience in receiving our service and TCPs is to accelerate the problem recognition phase
in order to avoid the escalation of psychological disorder to the point of excessive medication
or suicide attempts. Also, if our small awareness campaign does not succeed in engaging
these people in a helpful program, it will at least give them the choice to talk about it and
show them that somebody cares (as the second interviewee explained), which is important for
them.
The audience generally knows little about the subject, which is why they have
a hard time realizing that they have a problem. Therefore, by creating informative TCPs we
can, not only address the person in need, but also a not concerned person who can by exposed
to depression, anorexia, bulimia, anxiety. As the psychologist and the health center said, these
disorders are difficult to address to concerned people because they can either help them or
encourage them to stay silent. Therefore, indirect messages and superficial information is
enough to capture their attention and not alienate them. They need to trust the professionals
involved in the program, to know that they will be listened to without judgment and to have
the assurance that their privacy will be respected.
We identified a limitation to our technical document. AUI students have a
negative attitude towards the health center because of their reputation to bridge professional
secrecy for the benefits of the administration. Also, the doctors appear to be judgmental, thus
pushing back students who really need to share their problems with professionals. Therefore,
we need to improve this image by informing the students about the real practices of the health
center doctors. However, AUI students trust the psychiatrist who is unfortunately less present
but more useful.
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SECONDARY RESEARCH
HEALTH CENTERS’ WEBSITE ANALYSIS
As we intend to create a website for the Counseling Center, we will analyze the
internal webpage of the AUI Health Center to consider whether we follow the organization,
structure, and layout of the webpage or if we create a different TCP. By analyzing the
weaknesses and strength of this webpage we will know what to avoid and what to respect for
our own TCP. Next, we examined an external website of a similar service in York University
of Canada. This website will guide us towards the most important information to consider in
our TCP.
Al Akhawayn University’s Health Center Web Page Analysis
To fully analyze the AUI health center web page, we will first start by doing a
technical analysis of the web page and then look at the content in terms of usability, audience
analysis, and ethical issues.
The link to the AUI health center web page:
http://www.aui.ma/DSA/Health%20website/Index.html
Web Pages
Since the computer screen displays typefaces at a much lower resolution than a printed
document, it makes them harder to read. So, long lines of text on a computer screen become
indistinct at the edge. The AUI health center web page respects this criterion since they used
simple and short sentence. They also didn’t mix and math too many typefaces. However, they
didn’t use “sans-serif” type for body text; they used “Time New Roman”. Moreover, they
used small type under 12 point which is hard to read and the choice of colors is not
appropriate. The headings are properly used since they used the same typeface for font for the
same level of headings. Moreover, the links indicated by the headings also work properly.
Finally, the Web site does not have any space dedicated to online help which is important
especially for health page.
Usability
There is no clear match between the document and the real world since it is written in
French. The document is made for the AUI community, which includes Moroccan students,
exchange and international students, staffs, and professors, and they all speak English. It is
true that the majority of students, staffs, and professors can read French but there is also a
great number who can’t, and since AUI is adopting the American teaching style, all the
documents should be available in English.
It is true that there are no technical words, in the web page, used from the medical jargon.
Simple words are used to explain each concept; however, only people who can understand
French will figure that out. In fact, the documentation set contains documents and the purpose
of each document is clear. The document is purposeful since each case is explained differently
and separately. In this case there is no information that should be hidden from user and shown
to another one. These instructions and information are for all people willing to learn more
about different diseases by themselves. These instructions are not made for professionals. So,
all the information given in this documentation is necessary. Furthermore, it is easy to browse
is that Web site since each category is put separately in an index. However, there is no search
space to browse for additional or different information. Those instructions are structured
around the users' job tasks, that is, tasks that are independent of the tools used. The job tasks
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remain the same although the tools may change. Finally, there is no troubleshooting section
giving the user guidance for common problems and situations.
Audience Analysis
The primary purpose is determined. This web site is made to inform the AUI
community about common diseases and safety tips. The reader is identified in a sense but not
in another. It is true that there is no use of technical complicated words and concepts, since
the web site is meant to inform a general audience not knowledgeable of the medical jargon
and techniques. However, the reader is not identified in the sense that the French language is
used instead of English one. Moreover, the readers’ level of knowledge about the topic is not
determined since there is no use of a secondary source. Another weakness is that the technical
documentation is not based on a trustworthy source and there is no way to verify that the
information is valid because the TCP is based on the author’s knowledge. Finally, no proof of
testing is available for the given information.
Ethical Issues
The information is affirmed in an organized way that demonstrates the progression
that needs to be followed in order to understand the concepts. However, not citing the used
sources in this document is a mistake. It makes the reader presume that all the information
given in the document is right. So, not providing the sources for the reader in this document
can cause accusations related to plagiarism, which will weaken the credibility of the web site.
Moreover, not all the needed information is provided. Since the web site is mainly meant for
university students, other health problems related to their age (18-25 years old) should be
considered. People in this age are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders such as anorexia
nervosa or bulimia. There is a section related to nutrition and depression in general but
nothing about eating disorders.
University of York’s Health Center Website Analysis
In order to analyze the web page of the health center of University of York we will
first start by doing a technical analysis of the web page, and then make an analysis in terms of
audience analysis, usability and ethical issues.
The link for University of York’s health center:
http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/yorkhealthservices/
Web pages
We can notice after analyzing the website that is only using two colors: black and red
for titles. Sentences are short and facilitate the readability and the understanding of the
message. We can also see that there are not a lot of typefaces mixed in the document. Like
AUI health center web page, University of York web page is using Times New Roman
instead of “Sans-Serif” type for body text. Concerning the font, they used a smaller type than
AUI health center’s web page, under 9 point, which makes the document difficult to read.
We can also see that the web page is offering an online helpdesk, where they give their
addresses, emails, phone numbers and fax numbers.
Usability
We can say that there is a real match between the document and the real world. In fact,
the document is written in English and dedicated to students, faculty and staff of University of
York. This facilitates their task in understanding and getting the message since they are all
speaking English. We can also say that the document is purposeful since cases are divided
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into sections and explained separately. We can also see that the web page allows users to
browse for additional information through search space.
Audience Analysis
The web page is built to inform students, faculty and staff of University of York about
health problems and increase their awareness regarding safety tips. As stated earlier, the use
of English is appropriate since all parts involved are English speakers. There is no use of
medical jargon since the document is meant to reach a general audience that composes the
University of York. Each section of the document is sourced and not only based on the
author’s knowledge; which helps the reader verify the validity and trustworthiness of the
page.
Ethical Issues
In contrast to what AUI health center’s page, University of York’s web page offers to
its readers to possibility to check and get more information about the subject matter through
citing sources from where they gathered the information. This avoids problems of plagiarism
and hence increases the credibility of the home page.
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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USABILITY TEST OF THE TCP
The Counseling Center Web Site
Our home page is the door to AUI students and the starting point for most users’ visits.
Having a good home page will assert our credibility and the reliability of our web site. So, the
homepage is the most important page on most websites, and gets more page views than any
other page. That is why our home page makes the purpose of our web site very clear. We have
explained who we are and what we do. We have also included a section where all the links are
organized, with the appropriate titles posted in order to help the user choose the information
that he/she needs directly. So, we have offered our users a clear starting point for the main
activities of the counseling center. The users have also the possibility to access other web
pages in different ways; either from the menu or the link bar at the end of the page. Moreover,
we have begun our link names with the most important keywords to make it easier for the user
to scan and find the area that will serve his/her goals.
The choice of colors is also purposeful since we have chosen white and red. Red is an
attractive color, and one of the most used color in the medical field and our web site is related
to this domain. Furthermore, we have chosen white because it is an easy color to use and read.
It matches well with red and black and creates a harmonious style. We have also chosen a
dove as our logo because it represents peace and tranquility and that is our purpose from
creating this web site. We want to bring serenity and help to people who need it. More than
that the primary symbolism behind the dove is freedom, since the counseling center is a way
to free students from their fears and problems of everyday life.
There is clear match between the document and the real world since our web site is
available in English which is the teaching language at AUI. The document is made for the
AUI community, which includes Moroccan students, exchange and international students,
staffs, and professors, and they all speak English. Moreover, there is no use of technical words
or medical jargon in our web site. We have used simple words to explain our concepts.
We have made each purpose of our documentation set clear. The document is
purposeful since each case is explained differently and separately. In this case there is no
information that should be hidden from user and shown to another one. These instructions and
information are for all people willing to learn more about themselves. These instructions are
not made for professionals. So, all the information given in this documentation is necessary.
The Counseling Center Brochure
Colors of the brochure:
The choice of the colors is appropriate because they indicate that the topic is about
health issues. The contrast between red and white and black and red is attractive. The pink fits
with the other colors. Besides, the dove is a good symbol that can be used also for health.
Presence of questions on the first page of the brochures:
The placement of the questions is good; they are in the middle of the first page. I
think that it is a good way to talk about a topic that is sensitive. The questions are specific:
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
17
therefore; they induce the curiosity of the reader and it incites him or her to think about his or
her problem.
The slogan of the brochure:
The importance of our message is emphasized by the slogan (forewarned, forearmed)
which is at the end of the first page of the brochure. Thanks to our slogan, students will be
more aware of the importance of counseling to overcome the psychological disorders. The
slogan is also clearly defined thanks to the size (it is bigger comparing to the one for the
questions) and the font used. The slogan is clearly distinguished from the questions.
Credibility:
Our credibility is established by presenting competent counselors (in the second
page) that have specialties that correspond to the needs of AUI students. In addition to that,
we have a testimonial of an AUI student who had problems and has been helped by Dr.Maria
Bennis. Besides, this testimonial is anonymous and this increases our credibility among
students.
Moreover, the pictures and the specialties of our counselors appear clearly thanks to
the placement (middle of the page) and the colors used. The pink and the white are light
colors that enabled to present our specialists in a positive way.
Our philosophy:
It is well explained in the third page of the brochure. Our intend is clearly stated in
the first paragraph (You will be encouraged to collaborate actively with your counselor in a
process that emphasizes your competence, strengths, and possibilities, rather than your
limitations). The process of counseling is explained and the types of counseling are defined.
There are two types which are individual counseling and couples counseling. We explained
the process of counseling by using the “you message”: it is a good way to reach students.
indeed, they feel more concerned when we use the “you message.” one of the examples that
illustrates this idea is the message”we listen to you”.after the explanation, we have the second
testimonial of an aui student who enjoyed the experience of counseling.this increases our
credibilityand students discover that counseling is effective and useful.
Privacy:
We know that dealing with such issues in Morocco is not easy because people are
afraid to be victims of cruel rumors and gossip that is why we allocated a section for a topic
which is very crucial: privacy. In this section, we have specified which kind of information
we need from students and how we protect the privacy of each student.
Ethics:
Our brochure respects ethics. Actually, we have specified that we do not provide all
types of counseling services.
Usefulness:
The design of the brochure is nice and clear.
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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The terms are well explained.
All the necessary information is provided so that students won’t be lost. We suggest
students to do relaxation exercises. If they need help, they can go to our website. The link of
the website is cited clearly at the end of the fourth and the fifth page. In addition to that, we
present a crisis line. Students can call our counselors in the specified times. The phone
numbers are written in a red font for a good visibility. Students can also contact us by e-mail
or by phone. The phone numbers and the office hours are stated at the end of our brochure.
The Counseling Center Poster
Concerning the poster we have respected the colors used in our web site in order to
create a certain consistency between the different TCPs. We have also put some question
using a ‘You’ language in order to directly address the views and to make them feel
concerned. The flyer is very clear and contains only the most important information. We have
chosen to do it this way in order to not annoy the view with long text or useless information.
Moreover, we have included at the end a contact section where we have included the phone
numbers of the two doctors with their working days.
El Khadiri, Houki, Rochdi, & Zarki
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REFERENCES
Anonymous Student 1. Personal interview. 28 April 2008
Anonymous Student 2. Personal interview. 30 April 2008
D.G.Myers (2005). Exploring psychology (sixth edition). Retrieved from http://www.reperemedical.com/article-132.html
Health Centre (2007) Al Akhawayn University of Ifrane. Retrieved from
http://www.aui.ma/DSA/Health%20website/Index.html
Health Center Doctor. Personal interview. 5 May 2008
Health Services at York (2008) York University of Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.yorku.ca/scld/healthed/yorkhealthservices/
Myers (2007) Psychological Disorders.Society of Personality and Social Psychology.
Retrieved from www.spsp.org/student/intro/ppt/myers13.ppt
Newal El Jaouhari. Telephone Interview. 5 May 2008
Osberg, T. M. (2004) A Business Case for Increasing College Mental Health Services.
Behavioral Health Management, 24 (5) : 33-36