The University unveiled a new web home page design
Dec. 1 that loads faster, provides more up-to-the-minute
news and events information, and makes it easier
for visitors to navigate through the more than 5
million web pages currently hosted on UI servers.
The home page, at www.uiowa.edu, replaces a site
whose structure and design dated to 1997, when there
were only about 400,000 pages within the UI domain.
“Web technology has changed dramatically in
six years, and the number and variety of University
web pages has grown exponentially,” says Steve
Parrott, director of University relations.
“This was a good motivation for updating both
the look and functionality of our site. The University
home page provides many people with their first impression
of The University of Iowa. We want that impression
to be a good one, and I think we’ve pulled
that off with this next-generation home page.”
The new home page, as well as the redesign of a
number of second-level web pages, is the culmination
of a year’s work spearheaded by Josh Kaine,
UI webmaster, and a six-person project team.
Highlights of the redesign include:
- A new graphic design that incorporates a
background image that will change quarterly (possibly
more often in the future);
- An expanded news and events teaser box that
will feature up to four headlines and a photo
that will be updated daily, Monday through Friday;
- A dynamic drop-down menu that features almost
60 more links than the previous version of the
home page;
- The addition of links to secondary web pages
with information specifically for visitors and
parents, as well as details about the University
and expanded
contact information;
- The renaming of a number of links so they
are more easily identified and better reflect
the contents of the pages to which the links lead;
- The redesign of several second- and third-level
pages, all with a new graphic identity and reorganized
links; and
- The overall reorganization of information
within the entire UI site, which takes into account
past and future growth of the University’s
web presence as well as changes in the way people
use the web for information.
by Stephen Pradarelli
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