If there’s one thing that the infamous XKCD university homepage comic reminded us, it’s that we need to strike a better balance between tasks and messaging on our homepages. And if there’s one thing that the commentary stemming from that comic reminded us, it’s that our homepage is one of the most political entities we will ever manage, and the solutions don’t come easy. But if you think about, there really is no separate homepage strategy, is … [Read more...]
A Content-First Approach to Your Events Calendar
August 16, 2012 by
Ah, the events calendar. One of the most ubiquitous components of a university website, and often one of the most confounding. From wrestling with feeds and technical configurations to simply getting people to use the darned thing, a calendar can be a headache. Time to schedule some Excedrin. With the right approach, though, that headache can become a valuable asset. An events calendar is not just a software application, after all—it’s a rich … [Read more...]
Higher Ed Responsive Web Design Trail Blazers say ‘Content-First’
June 21, 2012 by
Over the past couple of years, the advent of responsive web design has changed the way we think about websites. We no longer need to feel compelled to plan around countless devices. Rather, we can plan for a single web experience that works in unpredictable contexts. More often than not, that comes down to the content. Responsive web design, within the larger school of thought around creating adaptive content, gives content folks a lot to … [Read more...]
Accessibility Considerations for Web Content
May 1, 2012 by
Our top concerns in planning web content should be our goals, message and audience. What are we saying, who are we saying it to, and why? But with regard to our audience, we also need to consider the “how.” What devices are they using the view the content? Do they have limitations in perceiving certain content, such as visual or rich media? How do we publish content in a way that makes it available to the full range of our audience? When … [Read more...]
Structured Content: An Overview
March 27, 2012 by
When we create content—whether it’s a tweet, a blog post or a program description—we can no longer anticipate the default experience to be the desktop web browser. Our content is going places—sometimes places we can’t predict. It could be an iPhone, a Kindle, even a Nintendo Wii. As it is dispatched to digital corners far and wide, is it equipped to do its job, no matter the context? Will content goals and user needs remain well … [Read more...]