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Home 8 Design Specification
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Improve Usability
Be responsive to users
- Continue to monitor search engine and server logs. Continue to fine-tune design based on what we learn from logs-what people are looking at, what people are looking for. Gain access to logs that are not currently available, including Athletics, Hop, and Hood.
- Get feedback on design through user testing and Home Team blog. Provide feedback mechanism on home and top-level pages so that users can continue to respond to the design and content after the new design is launched. Modify design in response to feedback as appropriate.
Improve navigation
- Use topic-based navigation on home page and top-level pages. The primary navigation will be Academics, Research, Campus Life, News, Events, and About.
- Design the main site for both internal and external visitors. Provide access to content that is relevant to both audience groups-e.g., information about the College, events, news.
- Develop a section geared toward prospective students. Provide access to content that is relevant to people who are considering attending Dartmouth-e.g., facts, tours, interviews.
- Develop an "Inside Dartmouth" section specifically for internal users. Provide access to content that is relevant to people who work and live at Dartmouth-e.g., access to WebBlitz and Blackboard, information about the holiday schedule, the administrative structure of the institution.
- Use icons to reinforce links where appropriate in order to make links easier to identify.
- Use context-specific photos to accompany spotlight articles and features in order to add visual excitement to the page and help differentiate features from other elements.
- Use descriptive labels for navigation so users can predict where to find the information they seek.
- Minimize clicking and ensure the path to content is as direct as possible.
- Develop a site map that provides an overview of the site organization and content.
- Provide an A-Z web site index to help people who know what they are looking for by name.
- Provide a QuickLinks menu with popular destinations. Develop a default set of links by reviewing search engine and server statistics. Develop a customization feature that allows users to customize their QuickLinks.
- Make the "file not found" page more helpful. Include links to the index, site map, and search features.
Improve the search experience
- Work with Technical Services to refine search.
- Develop a Dartmouth Web Style Guide that promotes best practices for designing pages that index well.
Improve the events calendar
- Work with Technical Services to refine the Calendar user interface.
- Work with departments to encourage Calendar contributions. Where other departments are not participating, and where possible given resource constraints, add content to the calendar.
- Add links to the Calendar interface for event calendars that do not use the main calendar.
Consolidate content
- Work with Admissions to consolidate offerings for prospective students.
- Work with Alumni Relations to integrate offerings for alumni.
- Work with content partners to consolidate information about Academics.
- Work with content partners to consolidate information about Research.
- Work with content partners to consolidate information about Dartmouth in the World.
- Work with content partners to consolidate information about Opportunities.
Provide a more consistent, coherent, and robust user experience
- Develop a Dartmouth Web Style Guide that promotes best practices and common elements across Dartmouth sites. Include accessibility guidelines.
- Identify and consolidate validation tools to improve quality (link checking, code validation, spell checking, accessibility compliance).
- Request a directory listing of web sites on Webster and use this and the site map to create a Dartmouth Web Master Plan. Maintain and update the master plan regularly. Share the master plan with departments so that local development on the Dartmouth web fits in within the overall plan.
- Work with Web Publishing Services on templates for department pages.
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