Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Look at the use of single templates on higher education websites. Implementing an institution-wide template sounds like a good idea at first but how does it perform in the real world? Get insights into the pros and cons of implementing a single template across all institution websites. We will explore what works and what doesn't, from both the management and end-user prospective. Discover techniques to embrace the uniqueness of each area of your institution and how to engage your visitors along the way. http://nickdenardis.com/
Citation preview
Follow the 2010 CASE V Conference on Twitter
#CASEV
Flexible Web Branding, the Case Against Single Web Templates
Communications and Web Track sponsored by Alumni Magnet
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Nick DeNardis@nickdenardis
Associate Director of Web CommunicationsWayne State Universityhttp://wayne.edu/
Host of EDU Checkuphttp://educheckup.com/
Writer for .eduGuruhttp://doteduguru.com/
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
Directly control the homepage or a portion of the site?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
Directly control the homepage or a portion of the site?
Are a one person shop?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
Directly control the homepage or a portion of the site?
Are a one person shop?
Have one central CMS?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
Directly control the homepage or a portion of the site?
Are a one person shop?
Have one central CMS?
Are you currently going through a redesign?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Who are you?
Directly control your entire institution’s website?
Directly control the homepage or a portion of the site?
Are a one person shop?
Have one central CMS?
Are you currently going through a redesign?
Have an in house Web team?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
The golden rule of the webTreat users as you would want to be treated
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Higher Education:The Toughest Gig in All the Web - Mark Greenfield
3pm today in the Ballroom II
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Goal: Make it noteworthyBut what makes a noteworthy site?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Noteworthy in the past yearBoston University x 7
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wofford College
Connecticut State University System
Century College
Mills College
University of Missouri
Cornell University x 2
Kent State University
Cornell University
Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences
Dickinson College
University of Puget Sound
Freed-Hardeman University
Southwest Minnesota State University
NC State University
The University of Alabama
Grand Valley State University
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Examining the noteworthy sites from the past year
Mainly redesign
An opportunity to implement a new direction
Small iterations don’t make the list
What is the shelf life of a redesigned site?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Three examples
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Wofford
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Boston University
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
What did we just learn?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
What did we just learn?
Single web templates are not a silver bullet
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
What did we just learn?
Single web templates are not a silver bullet
Old sites need to be redesigned
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
What did we just learn?
Single web templates are not a silver bullet
Old sites need to be redesigned
Competition between complete or no control
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
What did we just learn?
Single web templates are not a silver bullet
Old sites need to be redesigned
Competition between complete or no control
To think like a user you have to be a user
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
A happy medium :-)
Flexible branding from the start
Good communication
Proper training
Reward the rule followers
Pick your battles
Sometimes you just have to let go
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Tiered branding
Tier 1Admissions
Financial Aid, Housing, Advising
Tier 2Current Student Services
Offices & Departments
Tier 3Staff & Administration Sites
Centers & Institutes
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
Meet with the advisors, admissions & other staff
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
Meet with the advisors, admissions & other staff
Get a list of differentiators
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
Meet with the advisors, admissions & other staff
Get a list of differentiators
You will find more commonality than differences
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
Meet with the advisors, admissions & other staff
Get a list of differentiators
You will find more commonality than differences
Make sure it is all about the end user
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Departmental interview
Have the dean/department head/director there
Meet with the advisors, admissions & other staff
Get a list of differentiators
You will find more commonality than differences
Make sure it is all about the end user
Solve problems, setup goals
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Get the designers involved
Involve them early
Make sure they are aware of the requirements
Don’t re-invent the wheel
Keep to constructs
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Average highered website
Header
Navigation
Main branding area
Search box
1-2 Sentence “why we exist”
Upcoming events
News & announcements
Promotion area
Contact information
Footer
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Common unique items
Student/faculty/alumni profiles
Image gallery
Video gallery
In the news
Sign up for updates form
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Totally unique elements
Night sky calendar
Picture of the week
Top 10 pages visited pages
System availability
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Wireframes
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010 @nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
ExampleWayne State University - Library Science
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
ExampleUniversity of Maryland - Nursing
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
“No no’s”
Letter from the dean/director
“Quicklinks”
Non-standard colors
Unapproved wordmarks
Departmental “logos”
Creating a “destination” site just because
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Making exceptions
Pick your battles
What are valid reasons for making exceptions?
“Our students are different”
Document reasoning
Try not to do it on your homepage
Flash, moving elements, different colors, fonts
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Summary
Treat users as you would want to be treated
Every department cannot fit into the same box
Create constructs everyone can use
Have fun while still being professional
It’s just the web
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Questions?
@nickdenardisCASE V 2010
Thank You!http://casefive.org/conference/presentations/
