I helped UC Denver’s Department of Integrative Biology streamline and organize their website while migrating their content to a new content management system.
Expertise
- Content inventory
- Site mapping
- Content strategy
- Content writing
Tools Used
- Drupal
- Adobe Photoshop
Platform
- Web
- Mobile web
Background
When the University of Colorado at Denver’s Department of Integrative Biology had to migrate to a new CMS, it became clear that it was in need of a refresh. Years of adding more and more pages had made it confusing to navigate and bloated with legacy information. In addition, the design was outdated and content hadn’t always been created with accessibility in mind.
In revamping the site, in addition to transferring over all of the existing content and creating a new page for an upcoming environmental stewardship program, I wanted to:
- create a more modern look for the website while remaining consistent with UC Denver’s brand.
- make it easier to find relevant information for current and prospective students.
- ensure that the content adhered to W3C’s web accessibility standards.
Approach
Getting to know the space
I first performed a content inventory to understand what was on the site, getting a feel for what was already there. From there, I worked closely with the department to assess the content I had inventoried. I also sat with the department’s administrative assistant and gained an understanding of the most common site updates and the questions that students and staff asked the most regarding the website.
I also created a site map (PDF) to get a birds-eye view of the original website. This enabled me to understand how the information was organized and figure out if things needed to be moved or re-categorized.
In addition, I looked at the websites of biology departments at other universities as well as other department websites at UC Denver to get an understanding of how they were organized and understand what made a successful department website.
Creating a site that suits everyone’s needs
Department websites are used by a few distinct groups, each with different goals in mind.
Prospective Students and Their Parents
They are primarily searching for an academic program that appeals to them: evaluating the classes offered and things like possible research or internship opportunities. The college website can supplement a prospective student’s impressions from an in-person visit.
Current Students
Already enrolled in the program, they are often looking for graduation requirements, trying to meet advisors or faculty members, or looking for events and opportunities within the department.
faculty
They must make sure their contact information information is up-to-date for current students. This is also often where they can highlight their research and academic achievements.
Staff
They are in charge of the day-to-day site maintenance, ensuring that it’s updated with the latest events and announcements.
Outcomes
A “brand” new look
The new site incorporated CU Denver’s branding guidelines so that it was consistent with the University of Colorado system as a whole. I was also able to give the site a more modern look, leveraging media from the university, faculty, and graduate students to visually highlight the department and its facilities.
While much of the content was carried over from the original site, I ensured that it was all brought over to the new site and formatted according to WCAG 2.0 standards.
Easier to navigate
Wanting to simplify the navigation for current and prospective students, I reorganized and re-categorized the content according to a new site map and reduced the amount of redundant links. One consequence of this was the implementation of a new tagging system on faculty profiles. One of the things that often got buried within the pages of the old website was the amazing research that the department faculty and students were engaging in. By introducing this new tagging system, I made it easier to highlight the variety of expertise within the Department of Integrative Biology.
