The Web Services Group and Communications and External Relations' Digital Communications team are redesigning the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ homepage to give it a more targeted approach and a fresh look. The project officially began over the summer, when we took a deep dive into all the information we could gather about the needs of homepage visitors and the usage patterns on the current homepages.
We reviewed market research, Google Analytics data, Hotjar heatmaps and user interaction videos, and case studies of other websites and institutions. In parallel, we interviewed strategic decision-makers and communications experts from around the university to better understand their goals, challenges, and pain points. We determined that a single homepage that communicates the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ brand, values, research strengths and impacts would do the best job of promoting our communications and recruitment activities as a whole.
The homepage plays a critical role as a first impression of ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ for many audiences, and it should help visitors to find and engage with the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ content most relevant for their needs. The homepage is also a handy jumping-off point for ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ community members, who use the links to internal services like institutional email or Minerva.
The redesign team is now working on the underlying features of the homepage (ex. an improved search tool!) and its design (including layout and branding elements). For a complete overview of the work we've done to date, have a look at our recent presentation of the project's progress. In the coming months, we'll be creating a mobile-format prototype of the site and testing it with members of our target audiences.
Sincerely,
The Web Evolution Program Team