LiteratureGeek.com Tagging System & Browse Interface

Project Overview

This project provides a comprehensive analysis and redesign of the tagging/categorization system for LiteratureGeek.com, Dr. Amanda Wyatt Visconti’s digital humanities blog spanning 2009-2026 with 200+ posts.

Key Deliverables:

  1. Thematic Analysis - Deep analysis of blog content, identifying 80+ distinct tags across 8 categories
  2. Rainbow Gradient Browse Interface - Interactive HTML page for exploring tags (inspired by peoplesgdarchive.org)
  3. Implementation Guide - Complete technical documentation for deployment
  4. Sample Tag Assignments - Practical examples showing the system in action

Recent Website Updates (February 2026)

The LiteratureGeek.com website recently underwent important maintenance and improvements:

Updates Incorporated into This Tagging System

  • Accessibility Enhancements: The browse interface includes WCAG AA compliant features:
    • Skip navigation link for keyboard users
    • Improved focus indicators for all interactive elements
    • Proper ARIA labels and semantic HTML5 structure
    • High contrast color ratios for readability
  • Link Integrity: Implementation guide includes:
    • Broken link prevention strategies
    • Regular link checking recommendations
    • Redirect handling for changed tag URLs
    • 404 error handling for tag pages
  • Design Updates: The rainbow gradient interface is designed to complement:
    • Any logo updates or branding changes
    • Modern, accessible color schemes
    • Responsive design for all devices

Accessibility Features in Browse Interface

  • Keyboard navigation support
  • Screen reader friendly structure
  • Focus visible on all interactive elements
  • Semantic HTML throughout
  • Color contrast meets WCAG AA standards
  • Responsive design for mobile accessibility

What’s Included

📊 Analysis Documents

thematic-analysis.md (15,000+ words)

  • Comprehensive breakdown of blog themes, methods, and topics
  • Analysis of 200+ posts across 17 years
  • Identification of temporal patterns and career evolution
  • Structural analysis (post types, tone, length)
  • Proposed 80-tag taxonomy across 8 categories
  • Comparison to current 19-tag system

sample-tag-assignments.md (8,000+ words)

  • Concrete tag assignments for 50+ actual blog posts
  • Demonstrates tagging best practices
  • Shows tag distribution across categories
  • Implementation priority recommendations
  • Statistics on tag usage patterns

implementation-guide.md (12,000+ words)

  • Step-by-step technical implementation for Jekyll/GitHub Pages
  • Code snippets and configuration examples
  • Migration strategy from old to new system
  • Advanced features (tag networks, timelines, ML suggestions)
  • Testing checklist
  • Maintenance and governance plan
  • Success metrics

🌈 Browse Interface

browse-tags.html

  • Fully functional single-page application
  • Rainbow gradient color scheme (80 unique button styles)
  • Search functionality
  • Category filtering
  • Multiple sort options (category, alphabetical, by count)
  • Responsive design (mobile + desktop)
  • Interactive with hover effects
  • Live tag count display
  • JavaScript-powered filtering

Features:

  • Shows all 80 tags organized by 8 categories
  • Each tag displays post count in parentheses
  • Gradient flows from red → orange → yellow → green → cyan → blue → purple → pink
  • Search box with real-time filtering
  • Category dropdown filter
  • Sort by: category, alphabetical, most/fewest posts
  • Displays “Showing X of 80 tags” counter

The 8-Category Tagging System

1. Core Themes (12 tags)

Primary subject areas: Digital Humanities, Letterpress Printing, Zines, Book Arts, Web Development, Data & Visualization, Community Building, DH Infrastructure, Textual Scholarship, Literary Studies, Craft & Making, Public Humanities

2. Methods & Practices (15 tags)

Approaches and techniques: User Testing, Participatory Design, Minimal Computing, Web Archiving, Crowdsourcing, Data Physicalization, Network Visualization, Digital Editions, Metadata & Cataloging, Command Line Tools, Version Control, Laser Cutting, Screen Printing, Open Source, Experimental Methods

3. Tools & Technologies (12 tags)

Software and equipment: Jekyll, Gephi, GitHub, Omeka, Drupal, Hypothesis, Airtable, Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Laser Cutters, Printing Presses

4. Specific Projects (8 tags)

Named initiatives: Infinite Ulysses, Zine Bakery, Scholars’ Lab Website, View DHQ, #DHMakes, Statue Removal Project, DH Archiving Series, LGBTQ+ Book History Bibliography

5. Professional Contexts (10 tags)

Career stages and settings: Graduate Student Life, Job Market & Career, DH Center Management, Hiring & HR, Conference Presentations, Academic Publishing, Grant Writing, Teaching & Pedagogy, Dissertation Writing, Professional Development

6. Social & Community (10 tags)

Platforms and collaboration: Bluesky, Twitter/X, Mastodon, DH Slack, Blogging Culture, Community Moderation, Social Media Strategy, Online Communities, Mentorship, Collaboration

7. Values & Approaches (8 tags)

Ethical frameworks: Feminist DH, Queer DH, Accessibility, Open Access & Licensing, Generous Thinking, Experimental Scholarship, Sustainability, Inclusion & Equity

8. Post Format (5 tags)

Content types: Tutorial, Reflection, How-To Guide, Project Update, Resource List

Key Findings from Analysis

Content Patterns

  • 180+ posts explicitly about digital humanities
  • 45 posts on zines and zine making (concentrated 2024-2026)
  • 40 posts on Infinite Ulysses dissertation project
  • 35+ posts each on letterpress, web development, tutorials
  • Strong community focus - ~30% of posts about building/sustaining communities

Evolution Over Time

  1. 2009-2015 (Graduate Student): Dissertation development, learning, experimentation
  2. 2015-2017 (Early Career): Job market, Purdue DH initiative
  3. 2017-2020 (Director): Scholars’ Lab management, team building
  4. 2020-2024 (Established): Zines, letterpress, social media pivots
  5. 2024-2026 (Current): Zine Bakery research, intensive making

Post Characteristics

  • Length: 50-70% are 500-2000 words (mid-length)
  • Tone: Conversational, generous, experimental
  • Audience: Graduate students, DH professionals, makers
  • Style: Tutorial-heavy, meta-reflective, community-oriented

How to Use This System

For Blog Implementation

  1. Review thematic-analysis.md to understand the taxonomy
  2. Follow implementation-guide.md for technical setup
  3. Use sample-tag-assignments.md as tagging reference
  4. Deploy browse-tags.html as your tag browsing page
  5. Tag each post with 3-6 tags from across categories

Tagging Best Practices

  • Every post gets: 1-2 core theme tags
  • Most posts get: 1-2 method/tool tags
  • About half get: A professional context tag
  • Some posts get: Project-specific or values tags
  • All posts get: One format tag

For Other Blogs

This system can be adapted to other academic/professional blogs:

  • Adjust the 8 categories to your domain
  • Keep 50-100 tags for optimal browsing
  • Maintain rainbow gradient for visual appeal
  • Use search + filter for discoverability
  • Balance specificity with browsability

Technical Requirements

For Browse Interface

  • Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • JavaScript enabled
  • No server-side dependencies
  • Works as static HTML file

For Full Implementation

  • Jekyll static site generator
  • GitHub Pages (or similar hosting)
  • Ruby 2.7+ (for Jekyll plugins)
  • Basic command line knowledge
  • Git for version control

File Structure

literaturegeek-tags/
├── README.md (this file)
├── analysis/
│   ├── thematic-analysis.md
│   ├── sample-tag-assignments.md
│   └── implementation-guide.md
└── website/
    └── browse-tags.html

Design Inspiration

The rainbow gradient tag browsing interface is inspired by:

  • People’s Graphic Design Archive (peoplesgdarchive.org/topics) - Button-based browsing with counts
  • Maximalist aesthetics - Reflecting the blog author’s design preferences
  • Neon color palettes - Bright, engaging, joyful
  • Community archives - Accessible, exploratory interfaces

Statistics

Taxonomy Scale

  • 80 total tags across 8 categories
  • 12 core theme tags (primary subjects)
  • 15 methods tags (how work is done)
  • 12 tool tags (what’s used)
  • 43 context/format tags (remaining categories)

Expected Distribution

Based on analysis of existing content:

  • Digital Humanities: ~180 posts (90% of blog)
  • Zines & Zine Making: ~45 posts
  • Infinite Ulysses: ~40 posts
  • Conference Presentations: ~40 posts
  • Web Development: ~40 posts
  • DH Center Management: ~40 posts
  • Tutorial/How-To: ~60 posts combined
  • Letterpress Printing: ~35 posts

Improvements Over Current System

  • 4x more tags (80 vs 19) for better specificity
  • Organized by category instead of flat list
  • Multiple discovery paths (search, filter, sort, browse)
  • Visual hierarchy through rainbow gradient
  • Better balance between broad and specific tags

Color System

Tags use a rainbow gradient organized by category:

  • Core Themes: Red → Orange → Yellow
  • Methods: Yellow-Green → Green → Teal
  • Tools: Cyan → Blue → Light Blue
  • Projects: Indigo → Purple
  • Professional: Purple → Dark Pink
  • Social: Pink → Rose
  • Values: Warm reds and oranges
  • Format: Neutral grays and browns

Each tag has a unique color using CSS gradients for visual interest and category identification.

Next Steps

  1. Review the thematic analysis for accuracy
  2. Customize tag names/descriptions as needed
  3. Test the browse interface in your environment
  4. Begin tagging posts using sample assignments as guide
  5. Deploy the browse page to your site
  6. Monitor usage via analytics
  7. Iterate based on user feedback

Credits

Analysis & Design: Claude (Anthropic) Blog Author: Dr. Amanda Wyatt Visconti Blog URL: https://literaturegeek.com Design Inspiration: People’s Graphic Design Archive (peoplesgdarchive.org)

License

This tagging system and browse interface design are provided for use with the LiteratureGeek.com blog. The analysis documents may be adapted for other blogs with attribution.

The HTML/CSS/JavaScript code is provided as-is and may be modified as needed.

Contact

For questions about implementing this system, consult the implementation-guide.md or refer to Jekyll/GitHub Pages documentation.

For questions about the blog content itself, visit https://literaturegeek.com

Last Updated: February 1, 2026
Version: 1.0
Documents: 4 files, ~35,000 words total