Flexible and Dynamic: University Debuts New Home Page
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Flexible
and Dynamic: University Debuts New Home Page
Chancellor
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By Joe Peters
Facelifts continue for the UMass Boston home page. This month, the Web Services Department put the final pieces on a lengthy transition. Changes, which began a year ago with the reorganization of the main buttons, have progressed to a new “Happenings @ UMB” column and a new color scheme and organization.
Overall, the page has shifted from one dominant image and a set of links to several smaller images and more options for finding information on the university Web site. This format is very common among many other colleges and reflects the evolution of the Web from an attraction to a vital resource.
Some early college home pages were what many Web developers now call a “splash page,” which was something designed mostly for visual appeal. Perhaps the greatest misnomer used in regard to the Web use is “surf.” Time has borne out that people do not click through Web sites like they surf the channels of a TV, waiting for something to catch their eye. Most people arrive at a Web site seeking specific information. In this context, the splash page doesn’t work for organizations like colleges and universities, which have a lot of information to share.
At UMass Boston, Web Services has responded with a home page that is much more flexible than the old design. With the new look, it is very easy to insert new images and text into the page. One week the page might feature an aerial of the campus, and the next week visitors could be greeted by commencement images promoting upcoming honorary degree recipients.
Changes under the old design were very involved because of the way the links were part of the image. The new look has lost those image links, but has gained a great deal in terms of being dynamic.
In addition, the new design features search functions and
additional text links to allow people to find what they are looking for.
Overall, the home page can be better tailored to the wide audience it
serves. On average, the main site sees about 32,000 hits per day.
Faculty and staff are welcome to forward their comments about the home
page and the site in general to webmaster@umb.edu.