Change is coming: For an idea of how the new website will look
Starting March 14, 2018, Faculty of Engineering websites will be getting a new look and feel and improved functionality.
This will only be the start of an ongoing commitment to improving and maintaining the usability, functionality, and design of our websites.
Immediate benefits of new content management software include responsive design, meaning websites reconfigure themselves and adapt to whatever mobile device visitors to our websites are using. The software we use today does not have this capability. Mobile devices account for just over half of the web traffic at University of Alberta websites.
Another important benefit will be in search engine optimization: our faculty, departments, research centres, schools, institutes, professors, and student groups will appear higher on search engine results.
The most obvious change will be in appearance. The platform's template follows University of Alberta's green-and-gold branding but the Faculty of Engineering will continue to use its distinct colours and logo as a vital part of our visual identity.
The tight timelines are due to a university decision to discontinue support for our current website software, effective March 31. As a result, we are moving website content from one "house" to another-in a hurry. Everything on our websites today will be online March 14. Existing website addresses (urls) will redirect users to the content they're searching for, or to the nearest department page or main landing page.
There will be changes to the names of navigation buttons directing users to information and as a result some reorganization of information, but our content will be online.
The U of A Technology Training Centre is a vendor on this project. The TTC team is taking care of the online build of our websites and moving content so that site administrators can begin organizing information inside corresponding sections of their sites.
Once we've moved, we'll work together to get everything set up the way we need. And with room for new additions as well. With the new version of our sites operating, we will continuously monitor web traffic and user behaviour, and make adjustments as required. We will more clearly define audience needs and implement user testing to ensure visitors to our websites are able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
Please check in to this page for ongoing updates, and opportunities to provide your input into the redesign process.
And thank you for your patience in the next few weeks!
For more information, contact enggcomm@ualberta.ca
This will only be the start of an ongoing commitment to improving and maintaining the usability, functionality, and design of our websites.
Immediate benefits of new content management software include responsive design, meaning websites reconfigure themselves and adapt to whatever mobile device visitors to our websites are using. The software we use today does not have this capability. Mobile devices account for just over half of the web traffic at University of Alberta websites.
Another important benefit will be in search engine optimization: our faculty, departments, research centres, schools, institutes, professors, and student groups will appear higher on search engine results.
The most obvious change will be in appearance. The platform's template follows University of Alberta's green-and-gold branding but the Faculty of Engineering will continue to use its distinct colours and logo as a vital part of our visual identity.
The tight timelines are due to a university decision to discontinue support for our current website software, effective March 31. As a result, we are moving website content from one "house" to another-in a hurry. Everything on our websites today will be online March 14. Existing website addresses (urls) will redirect users to the content they're searching for, or to the nearest department page or main landing page.
There will be changes to the names of navigation buttons directing users to information and as a result some reorganization of information, but our content will be online.
The U of A Technology Training Centre is a vendor on this project. The TTC team is taking care of the online build of our websites and moving content so that site administrators can begin organizing information inside corresponding sections of their sites.
Once we've moved, we'll work together to get everything set up the way we need. And with room for new additions as well. With the new version of our sites operating, we will continuously monitor web traffic and user behaviour, and make adjustments as required. We will more clearly define audience needs and implement user testing to ensure visitors to our websites are able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
Please check in to this page for ongoing updates, and opportunities to provide your input into the redesign process.
And thank you for your patience in the next few weeks!
For more information, contact enggcomm@ualberta.ca