An audible "wow" was heard when the new design planned for Ball State University's Web site was unveiled to student and faculty focus groups, University Web coordinator Nancy Prater said. Students can expect a redesigned Web site when they return to school in the fall, Prater said.
The university partnered with mStoner, a well-known company that works with colleges and universities to improve their Web sites, for the redesign, said Tom Taylor, vice president for Enrollment, Marketing and Communications.
"The design that we're working with is a much cleaner, fresher design to, convey the campus's vibrance and vitality," he said.
All audiences will benefit from the redesign, whether they are prospective students, current students, faculty looking for available positions or businesses seeking talent, Taylor said.
Prater said the redesign will include a more user-friendly design and interactive elements, such as video and audio. The most frequent complaint internal and external audiences have about Ball State's Web site is the busy layout of the homepage, she said. The redesign will look a lot cleaner to help people find things faster, Prater said.
Tony Proudfoot, associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said he hoped the Web site's redesign would accurately reflect Ball State as an institution.
"What you'll see is fewer but more efficient and effective links," he said. "It's actually going to have a really bold design, and it's going to really use photography. ... It's a very open design that's unique and invites users to learn more."
Prater said that because the redesign is such a large-scale project, it will be introduced in phases. The first launch is scheduled for late summer, she said. Students who want to use the Web site during the summer will not be affected because services such as Blackboard, Gradebook and Course Planner are separate entities and not a part of the redesign, Prater said.
Proudfoot said students can expect to see changes made to the homepage, audience gateway pages, the admissions and financial aid Web sites and a sample department Web site.
Prater said the university is working with the telecommunications department in the prototype stage to help create a template that all other department Web sites can follow.
"We wanted to tackle a department that would have a lot of multimedia possibilities," she said. "They also have an undergraduate and graduate program."
Proudfoot said academic pages will highlight programs and achievements, and a campus life page will showcase student life at the university. Student organizations will be featured throughout the Web site and their stories will be told through the eyes of student participants, he said.
What's new?Bold, clean designAcademics pageCampus life page
Changes for fallHomepage Audience gateway pages ("Current students" and "Visitors")Admissions Web siteFinancial aid Web siteOne sample department Web site
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