October 6, 2005

New Web site is easier to use

When Northwestern launched its new home page last month, it unveiled more than a fresh look.

The project, executed by University Relations’ Web Communications office, was geared to making the main pages of the site easier to use.

Now each page’s upper right corner groups key resources. Two search fields enable users to look for things mentioned on Northwestern Web pages (Search Northwestern) or contact information for anyone listed in the online directory (Find People). There are also quick links to WebMail and campus maps.

Main links on the home page are organized by task and role. This means that one can quickly find information about Northwestern’s libraries, athletics or jobs, for example, or a single page devoted to faculty and staff-related resources.

Just below the main links, the NewsCenter and Plan-It Purple sections link to the latest headlines and upcoming campus events. To increase the visibility of special programs, Web sites and events, two promotional banners now share the area at the lower right of the page.

As part of the site enhancement project, Web Communications also examined the University-wide Web standards, which serve as a guide for schools, departments and units as they design their own sites. The purpose of the Web standards is to consistently communicate University identity and to increase usability for users.

To offer more flexibility in these aims, there are now three sizes of University logo available, three variations on the layout of the search component and the choice to have the University logo as well as a departmental or unit logo displayed in the page’s official footer.

Policies and procedures regarding Web standards are at posted at www.webstandards.northwestern.edu.

Still in progress is an initiative to augment online directory search information. A new departmental directory will use the lightweight directory access protocol, or LDAP, to enable users to look up a department’s contact information in the same way they would search for a person’s. Directory information will include addresses, phone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses. LDAP also allows other University applications to share such directory information.