ECHOES Report on the website (Deliverable D2.1)

European Cloud for Heritage Open Science Deliverable D2.1 Report on the Website HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01 Horizon Innovation action Responsible authors ARIADNE RI, PRISMA © 2025 by the authors, the ECHOES consortium. This work is licensed under a “CC BY 4.0” license. The website uses images produced by the project itself, provided by project partners for the purpose of being published on the site, or by using appropriate licences regularly purchased through Envato Elements. Project start 1 June 2024 Project duration 60 months Document Identifier 10.5281/zenodo.17513799 ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 1 Deliverable Information Project Number 101157364 Acronym ECHOES Full title European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science Project URL https://www.echoes-eccch.eu/ EU Project Officer Christian WILK Change log Date Version Author Change 14/10/2024 V0.1 Francesco Capaccioli, Miriam Bua Initial version 18/10/2024 V0.2 Claudio Prandoni Revision 31/10/2024 V0.3 Francesco Capaccioli Revision, add conclusions, screenshots updated, add copyright 04/11/2024 V0.4 Sheena Bassett Final revision Deliverable D2.1 Title Report on the website Work Package WP2 Title Communication, Dissemination and Engagement Submission date 29/11/2024 Pages 37 Keywords Engagement, Collaboration, Accessibility Lead Partner ARIADNE RI Responsible Author ARIADNE RI, PRISMA Authors (Partner) Claudio Prandoni, Sheena Bassett, Franco Niccolucci (ARIADNE RI), Francesco Capaccioli, Miriam Bua, Ginevra Niccolucci (PRISMA) Contributors Alejandro Beacco (UPC), Elodie Cazenave (FSP), Gianna Lia Cogliandro (ENCATC), Sam Minelli, Martina Quagliano (ETT/META/TALIA) ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 2 29/11/2024 V1.0 Claudio Prandoni Final version integrating feedback from partners 29/11/2024 V1.0 Xavier Rodier Proofreading ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 3 Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 4 Abstract The ECHOES project, part of the Cultural Heritage Cloud, or European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), is dedicated to advancing digital transformation in the cultural heritage sector. This deliverable outlines the design, structure, and functionality of the project’s website. At its core, the website serves as a dynamic platform to support the communication, dissemination, and engagement goals of ECHOES. The website functions as a dynamic platform aimed at engaging cultural heritage professionals, policymakers, technologists, and the general public. It provides resources, tools, and opportunities for collaboration, while also raising awareness about ECHOES initiatives. Key sections such as "About", "News & Events", and "Resources" offer tailored content for specific audiences, ensuring relevance and usability. A user-centric design underpins the website, with a clear and intuitive layout enhancing navigation and accessibility. The website includes key sections such as tools for heritage preservation, project documentation, and news updates. It is responsive with all devices and adheres to WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards to ensure inclusivity, incorporating features like alt text for media, sufficient colour contrast, and compatibility with screen readers. Monitoring tools such as Google Analytics are used to track user engagement and optimise performance. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) include metrics like session duration, page views, and feedback rates. Dynamic content further enriches the platform, with features like a FAQ section, downloadable resources, and newsletter subscriptions fostering engagement. The website also integrates with all the other projects funded through the ECCCH calls like the AUTOMATA, TEXTaiLES and HERITALISE projects, fostering synergies within the ECCCH framework. These collaborations enhance the reach and impact of the ECHOES project while aligning with the shared goal of cultural heritage preservation and innovation. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 5 Table of Contents List of figures and tables 7 1. Introduction 8 1.1 Purpose and Scope of the Document 8 1.2 Structure of the Document 9 2. Website Content 10 2.1 Website concept 10 2.2 Header & Footer 11 2.3 Home page 12 2.4 About ECHOES 15 2.4.1 Objectives 15 2.4.2 Activities 16 2.4.3 Partners 16 2.5 The Cultural Heritage Cloud 17 2.6 Resources 19 2.6.1 Communication Kit 19 2.6.2 Reports 20 2.7 Services 21 2.7.1 Tools 21 2.7.2 FAQ/Help 22 2.8 Cascading Grants 23 2.9 News & Events 23 2.10 Contact us 26 2.11 Other pages 26 2.11.1 Newsletter subscription landing page 26 2.11.2 Legal and Cookie Policy 27 3. Accessibility 30 4. Website Statistics 32 5. Risks and Mitigation 35 ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 6 Conclusion 36 ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 7 List of figures and tables Figure 1: The main navigation menu Figure 2: The website footer Figure 3: Funding acknowledgements logos and text Figure 4: First section of the Homepage, general description Figure 5: Second section of the Homepage, 2nd level of information Figure 6 : Objectives session Figure 7 : Activities section Figure 8: Partners section Figure 9: The Cultural Heritage Cloud Section Figure 10: Webpage dedicated to a specific project Figure 11: Communication Kit section Figure 12: Reports section Figure 13: Tools section Figure 14: FAQ section Figure 15: Cascading Grants section Figure 16: News and events section Figure 17: Filtered news Figure 18: Contact Form Figure 19: Newsletter subscription page Figure 20: Legal page Figure 21: Cookie Policy Section Figure 22: ECHOES website mobile view Figure 23: Active users Figure 24: Geographic coverage Figure 25: Top pages visited Table 1: Synthesis table: Risks and mitigation ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 8 1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose and Scope of the Document The main domain name associated with the project website is echoes-eccch.eu. Additional domains through which the website can be accessed are echoes-cloud.eu and culturalheritagecloud.eu. The first iteration of the website aims to raise awareness of the project and its main objectives, namely: 1. Establish the Cultural Heritage Cloud or European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) to facilitate collaboration among heritage professionals and researchers, modernising their workflows and processes. 2. Offer access to data, advanced digital tools, and training resources developed collaboratively to meet the specific needs of the heritage community. 3. Move the cultural heritage sector from an object-focused approach to a holistic digital transformation of both tangible and intangible assets. 4. Create a digital environment for users to interact with, explore and enrich Digital Twins, leading to new scientific knowledge and a new generation of heritage objects, this all being called the Digital Commons. 5. Integrate fragmented communities within the cultural heritage sector into a cohesive community focused on the Digital Commons. 6. Deliver a single platform integrating the results of EU and national projects on cultural heritage, ensuring sustainability through an inclusive legal entity. 7. Ensure synergies with other European initiatives to avoid duplication of efforts, such as the common Data Space for Cultural Heritage, EOSC, JPI-CH, CHARTER Alliance, ARCHE, etc. 8. Bring together actors from cultural heritage, social sciences and humanities, and renowned academic and private organisations in computer science and data science for interdisciplinary and collaborative work. 9. Develop case studies and vertical applications that exemplify this collaborative approach, with collaboration ensured at multiple levels through the cloud’s national nodes. The information provided by the website describes the scope and type of work involved and who is undertaking this. It also features the latest news on activities, achievements and events, alongside communication materials for partners and a FAQ/Help section. A dedicated section will give access to official reports, guidelines, publications and will provide an entry point to the Cultural Heritage Cloud digital infrastructure, with its tools ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 15 2.4 About ECHOES 2.4.1 Objectives This page presents the main objectives of ECHOES, providing a comprehensive overview that allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the project's main goals (Figure 6). By delving into the specific aims and aspirations of ECHOES, this section aims to inform and engage users, ensuring they have a clear and thorough grasp of the project's mission and its potential impact on the cultural heritage sector. Figure 6: Objectives section ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 16 2.4.2 Activities This page outlines the various activities involved in the project and explains how they have been structured and organised (Figure 7). It provides a comprehensive overview of how the work will be carried out, highlighting the main categories, referred to as pillars, which form the foundation of the project's execution. By detailing these pillars, the page offers insights into the key project’s areas and the strategic approach that will guide the project's development and implementation. Figure 7: Activities section 2.4.3 Partners As indicated by the title, this page presents the list of partners involved in the execution of the project (Figure 8). It begins with the coordinator and proceeds according to the order specified in the grant agreement. This overview provides a clear and organised view of the key players contributing to the project's activities. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 17 Figure 8: Partners section 2.5 The Cultural Heritage Cloud This page presents the projects funded through the EU’s ECCCH calls, providing a short description and the corresponding logo for each one (Figure 9). In addition, each project has its own dedicated page with more detailed information (Figure 10). This structure ensures that visitors can easily access comprehensive information about each project. The webpage also provides information on funding opportunities offered by the European Union to develop new projects in the ECCCH family that can contribute to the creation of the Cultural Heritage Cloud through the development of new tools and services and the provision of data. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 18 Figure 9: The Cultural Heritage Cloud section ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 19 Figure 10: Webpage dedicated to a specific project 2.6 Resources 2.6.1 Communication Kit On this page, visitors can download the ECHOES brand guidelines and communication materials, as well as the guidelines that govern communication and visual standards for the other projects belonging to the Cultural Heritage Cloud (Figure 11). Additionally, the logos to be used in official communications are available for download, either in white, black and blue and in the relevant formats (i.e. CMYK for print, RGB for screens). ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 20 Figure 11: Communication Kit section 2.6.2 Reports On the Reports page, visitors will find the official documents produced throughout the project (Figure 12). The project spans a total of five years, and as it progresses, the resulting reports and deliverables will be made publicly available. These documents are crucial for sharing the results of our work with various stakeholders, including the scientific community, heritage professionals, policymakers and the general public. By making these resources available, we aim to foster transparency, encourage collaboration, and ensure that the insights and innovations developed through ECHOES are widely accessible and beneficial to all interested parties. The webpage also makes available the most important results achieved by the other projects belonging to the Cultural Heritage Cloud in terms of deliverables, reports and publications. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 21 Figure 12: Reports section 2.7 Services 2.7.1 Tools This webpage provides access to the tools and services offered by the Cultural Heritage Cloud digital infrastructure (Figure 13). Our goal is to create innovative digital tools that not only meet current needs but also anticipate and address future challenges. These tools are designed to enhance the workflows and processes of heritage professionals and researchers, enabling them to collaborate more effectively and achieve greater efficiency. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary expertise, we aim to provide solutions that are both practical and forward-thinking, ensuring that the cultural heritage sector is well-equipped to navigate the digital landscape of tomorrow. Figure 13: Tools section ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 22 2.7.2 FAQ/Help On this page, visitors will find a series of useful resources designed to deepen their understanding of the Cultural Heritage Cloud (Figure 14). Here, they can access guidelines, tutorials, and other educational materials that will help them better comprehend the work of ECHOES and make the most of its tools and resources. The web page also provides a list of FAQs related to requests received through the various channels that the project makes available. Figure 14: FAQ section ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 23 2.8 Cascading Grants This section is dedicated to the ECHOES Cascading Grants Programme (Figure 15). Here, information on the various calls launched by the project will be presented as it becomes available, along with the requirements for participation and how to apply. This section will also present the projects funded through this programme, with a link to the detailed page for each project. Figure 15: Cascading Grants section 2.9 News & Events The News section includes announcements related to key achievements and major events organised by all the projects belonging to the Cultural Heritage Cloud (such as the ECHOES launch event in Chambord or the kick-off meeting of AUTOMATA) but also important conferences where the projects are presented and other interesting news connected to the Cultural Heritage Cloud (Figure 16). The invitation to subscribe to the Newsletter was added to the News page (in addition to a link in the footer) in order to give it more prominence. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 24 Figure 16: News and Events section The news can be filtered and displayed by category, simply by clicking on the category name (e.g. News, Events, specific project names, etc.). When this is done, the display will change significantly, listing the articles of the selected category in chronological order, ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 31 website provides ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are. For example, it uses sticky menus on medium and large screens or it uses breadcrumbs as secondary navigation for the internal pages. It has a clear structure with properly marked up headings and it uses descriptive links that are as meaningful as possible, even when out of their context. Understandable - Users should have no issue in comprehending the meaning and purpose of the information presented in the website content, as well as the operation of the user interface. Technology should be clear in the presentation and format, to ensure that all functionality is predictable as visitors navigate their way through a document. For example, the echoes-eccch.eu website programmatically indicates the language of the page content so that both assistive technologies and conventional user agents can render text more accurately. Robust - Robustness is the ability for content to function reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. The echoes-eccch.eu website is constantly updated to let users be able to access the content as technologies advance. Responsive - ECHOES website is designed to be fully responsive, ensuring an optimal user experience on any device (Figure 22). Whether you are browsing from a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, the layout of the site automatically adapts to the screen size. This means that content, images, and navigation menus reorganize fluidly, maintaining excellent readability and usability at all times. Figure 22: ECHOES website mobile view ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 32 4. Website Statistics The use of the website is carefully monitored via Google Analytics (GA4). The following analysis covers the first two months, from 01 September 2024 (when the analytics software was installed) until 30 October 2024 (Figure 23). The active users are 2,979, of which 2,928 are new. The average engagement duration per active user is one minute and 50 seconds. The acquisition of new users was mostly through direct traffic (1,511), followed by organic search (962), referral (249), and social (204). Figure 23: Active users The origin is global, with users from 77 different countries, including those outside the European Union (Figure 24). The main ones are Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, Greece, and the Netherlands. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 33 Figure 24: Geographic coverage There is a good distribution of pages visited (Figure 25). In addition to the homepage, which is obviously at the top, the Objectives, Partners, News, Activities, and various posts in the News section have also had good visibility. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 34 Figure 25: Top pages visited Regarding user engagement and retention, all key metrics (engaged sessions, engaged sessions per users, engaged rate and average engagement time) generally have good figures taking into account that we are at the beginning of the project. The downloads from the Communication Kit page were 301. We will continue to monitor the website statistics continuously in order to be able to analyse the trends over a significant period of time. ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 35 5. Risks and Mitigation Developing, deploying, and maintaining a complex, multi-functional website like that of the ECHOES project involves some potential risks we analysed proactively and identified the major ones and implemented mitigation strategies to ensure uninterrupted functionality, data security, and high-quality content. The following table provides a concise overview of the key risks associated with the ECHOES website and sets up actionable strategies to address them effectively. Risk Category Potential Risk Impact Mitigation Strategy Technical Risks Downtime or performance issues Loss of trust and engagement Robust hosting, performance testing, backups for recovery Data Privacy & Security Non-compliance or data breaches Legal penalties, reputational damage GDPR compliance audits, secure data protocols, encryption, multi-factor authentication Content Quality Risks Outdated or inaccurate content Reduced credibility and usefulness Regular content reviews, dedicated editorial team, stakeholder feedback Accessibility Compliance Failure to meet WCAG standards Exclusion of users, legal noncompliance Accessibility audits, user testing, developer training on WCAG guidelines Operational Risks Delays in updates or feature deployment Reduced functionality, missed milestones Clear development roadmap, resource allocation, regular progress monitoring Stakeholder Engagement Low participation or awareness Limited community building and dissemination Interactive features, targeted campaigns, engagement metric analysis Table 1: Synthesis Table: Risks and Mitigation ECHOES Project 101157364–D2.1 Report on the website 36 Conclusion The ECHOES project is an ongoing endeavour, and its website will continue to evolve in tandem with its development. The website is not just a static repository of data; it is a dynamic entity that grows and adapts with the project. As the ECHOES initiative progresses, so does its online presence. We are committed to regularly updating the site with the latest news, research findings, and project developments, ensuring that our partners and audience remains informed and engaged, providing a transparent and accessible platform for information sharing.