Department page design mockups
Hi everyone,
As you may know, I was in Gambier yesterday to discuss the new Kenyon.edu site design. It was a great day of work, and I'd like to thank to everyone that we talked to. (You know who you are.) Some genuinely new ideas came from those conversations, which is really exciting.
(You'll also notice a new look in the space to the left there. Some folks think the angels are a bit overused— even though this is just the redesign blog and not the design itself, it's probably good to swap that photo out once in a while.)
In general we've heard a lot of positive feedback about the new homepage design. Some of the comments in the blog were echoed in person. But all in all, most people we talked to either were happy with it, or said it was growing on them. We're making a few changes in response to the feedback we've gotten, which we'll go through when the next update to the homepage design is posted. If any of you want to comment on the homepage design, feel free to continue to post comments at that link (or here— or wherever you want, really).
But now, let's take a look at the departmental site designs. Our goal was to create a basic template for these that is much more flexible than current department websites, which most everyone agrees look pretty much identical right now, and don't reflect departments' individuality at all. However, they can't be completely different; obviously there have to be some uniting elements, so they'll look related, work together, and match the homepage nicely.
In the design we're suggesting, each department page will have a single row of three photos at the top. The first photo should be a striking, abstract photo related to the department's area of study. The second should depict the department's physical building. The third should show people, students and/or faculty of the department, engaged in academic work. The photos can rotate if enough good-quality shots are available.
Each department will also be able to choose its own accent color, which will be used in several places throughout the departmental site. And there will be a few content layout options as well. In addition to the shots at the top of the page, departments can include images on their home pages as needed. As designers, we hope they're good photos too. But there's more leeway there.
So here we go! We've taken three departments as examples of the different possibilities here. Each of Kenyon's departments will be able to make independent decisions; these are just mockups. We have taken the content from the current pages in most cases; it's a guideline for how we think departments might proceed, but final decisions about both graphic choices and content will be made by the departments and Public Affairs.
Department of Political Science
Department of Biology
Department of Mathematics
Click below to post a comment (and remember, you don't have to sign up for an account to comment— but we do ask that you state your name and relation to Kenyon). Have a great weekend!
As you may know, I was in Gambier yesterday to discuss the new Kenyon.edu site design. It was a great day of work, and I'd like to thank to everyone that we talked to. (You know who you are.) Some genuinely new ideas came from those conversations, which is really exciting.
(You'll also notice a new look in the space to the left there. Some folks think the angels are a bit overused— even though this is just the redesign blog and not the design itself, it's probably good to swap that photo out once in a while.)
In general we've heard a lot of positive feedback about the new homepage design. Some of the comments in the blog were echoed in person. But all in all, most people we talked to either were happy with it, or said it was growing on them. We're making a few changes in response to the feedback we've gotten, which we'll go through when the next update to the homepage design is posted. If any of you want to comment on the homepage design, feel free to continue to post comments at that link (or here— or wherever you want, really).
But now, let's take a look at the departmental site designs. Our goal was to create a basic template for these that is much more flexible than current department websites, which most everyone agrees look pretty much identical right now, and don't reflect departments' individuality at all. However, they can't be completely different; obviously there have to be some uniting elements, so they'll look related, work together, and match the homepage nicely.
In the design we're suggesting, each department page will have a single row of three photos at the top. The first photo should be a striking, abstract photo related to the department's area of study. The second should depict the department's physical building. The third should show people, students and/or faculty of the department, engaged in academic work. The photos can rotate if enough good-quality shots are available.
Each department will also be able to choose its own accent color, which will be used in several places throughout the departmental site. And there will be a few content layout options as well. In addition to the shots at the top of the page, departments can include images on their home pages as needed. As designers, we hope they're good photos too. But there's more leeway there.
So here we go! We've taken three departments as examples of the different possibilities here. Each of Kenyon's departments will be able to make independent decisions; these are just mockups. We have taken the content from the current pages in most cases; it's a guideline for how we think departments might proceed, but final decisions about both graphic choices and content will be made by the departments and Public Affairs.
Department of Political Science
Department of Biology
Department of Mathematics
Click below to post a comment (and remember, you don't have to sign up for an account to comment— but we do ask that you state your name and relation to Kenyon). Have a great weekend!
posted by Jason Pontius, White Whale at 6:20 PM
10 Comments:
Patty and Team!
I think the new website looks great. Thanks for all of your hard work on this project.
Cathy Riel
Kenyon College
Payroll Manager
I think the department pages look very professional, and easy to navigate; good job!
Once again, the proposed pages look like they are trying to sell Kenyon to outsiders rather than provide navigation for those of us already here: "You'll be part of" -- rather than what WE are. It looks rather desperate, actually. A departmental website should provide the departmental mission statement, which is usually stated with more dignity than the ones you show here. The intro to the Poli Sci department on the Course of Study looks nothing like the one you show.
I would also favor a much more simple design -- what's going on in the department doesn't need to be splashed on the front page like you have to work to attract students to it! -- Mary Suydam
These look very professional, and I like that they can be modified slightly by each department according to their needs. I agree with Professor Sudyam that the PoliSci page "sells" rather than navigates; I'm not a huge fan of rhetorical questions like "Why study Political Science at Kenyon?" I prefer showing rather than telling, which is why I really like the Biology page. This page mentions specific resources, projects, and professors that are not only valuable to current students but also exciting for students interested in studying biology at Kenyon. For example, both prospective students and current students would find the link to the BFEC on the Biology homepage useful.
In terms of design, I also like the use of pictures on all three pages and the navigation bar on the left. Really, these sites look great and the three-picture bar at the top nicely embodies each department's purpose, location, and people.
Kes Schroer '08
nothing stands out... it all blends... bring out the sub-headings more
I still would like to see the Kenyon heading at the top, whether it is to the left or right doesn't really matter (although I suppose a heading on the right with a line that fades in to draw the eye to the Kenyon heading will reflect the quirkiness of Kenyon - not that I've given it much thought...) because it is Kenyon's website and that should be one of the first things that grabs your eye, not an afterthought. I think it is rather tedious to see "Department...at Kenyon College" on every page. If the Kenyon heading were viewable on all the pages, then it wouldn't have to be restated again and again.
Also, I like the three pictures at the top, but if they could be more mosaic-ed (like the special interest pieces - subtle, but still noticeable), it might look more connected to the main page. I really love the mosaic effect on the full pictures (especially the London one in the special interests section).
I still do not like the way the links for current students and faculty are at the bottom of the page or not even present on the course pages - current students will want to see updates in the departments, too, and they shouldn't have to go back to the home page to get access to the "For Current Students" link. As I said in my last post, I think it would be good if the page were ordered more like this:
Kenyon College
Links for Prospective Students
***********Photomosiac*************
Links for Students/Faculty
Main Text
That way, prospective students can see that they are important and can get around the site easily, but also that current students are not at the bottom of the list (those links are also on the right side of the page, which means they are easy for students to see, but not as huge an attention grabber for the prospective students) - not that you were saying that when you put the relevant student links at the bottom, but for me, I don't want to have to scroll down to click on links for me, and I want current student interests to be in view, as well.
I am also sure that the photomosaic is going to be tweaked a little before finalizing, but I would like to reiterate my suggestions for it. Instead of making squares of images all kept in boxes, make it more abstract, with some pictures taking up two squares horizontally, some with two squares vertically, some just one square, and some four squares. I would probably also make the whole thing only two squares in height, though. As for the special interest pictures, they can be three, but when you have more than one picture (as in the display about the night photography piece). they should blend together better while still keeping with the mosaic, if possible.
I like how there is a side bar with the title of the department, rather than having that at the top. It breaks up the lines and makes the page more interesting. I also like the quick links section, which connects you with relevant pages without you having to search for them.
I like how you gave us options to try to see what colors work best for the background, but I think the white is too common, the cream too dark, and the grey too cold. I do not have a wide knowledge of color names for website use, but, just from a quick search, something warmer (more orange-y, maybe) than FAF0E6 and less pink than fff4f0...although I think I like that last one from the small swatch I saw.
I wasn't able to make it to the open forum (I live on campus, but off the hill), but I hope my ideas make sense typed up and that my suggestions are taken seriously (and put into action... :) ), even though I did not attend.
I actually didn't mean for this to be a book, but I like designing things and speaking my mind, so oh, well.
Laurel
Hi folks,
I'm in Chicago at the SEED conference (www.seedconference.com), learning all kinds of really fascinating stuff (even though I think we already knew a lot of it). Too much information, maybe, but that's just to say we'll try to post some longer responses later.
Mary, I did want to let you know that the text of each departmental homepage mockup is taken directly from the current department homepages: Math, Biology, Poli Sci. We didn't make that up. Department staff will be able to finalize that language as the site development goes forward, if they want to make changes.
Thanks for your comments, folks, and we'll write some more responses soon.
Jason
This post may sound slightly harsh, but I really just want something clean to navigate through to get the information I need. So...
I noticed something that annoys me on other web pages I visit: where is the return to main page? How do I get back to the main page? Someone sugested having a big Kenyon on the right, I think that would be nice. I know the design is for the only navigation to come from the links at the top, but it would be nice anyway.
Also: where is there a link to what current students want? Current website has our nifty quick links page. I do not navigate from anything else. If that is taken away, there is no possible way I will find anything I need, even with the re-design.
So far all I've seen is geared toward outsiders. I, for one, don't see any improvement for me (a student) having to hunt for the information I need for my classes. Although, if I was shopping to change my major, I think it would be rather useful.
In terms of astetics I get dizzy just looking at the mock bio page. I understand the lines come from the three pictures at the top, but it makes the columns so cramped with the amount of information they want to show.
Thanks for all the work you're putting in to make our site cleaner! Hopefully, this didn't sound too harsh, you really are doing wonders for the site.
-Kasey
Two more things: I don't know if you have any control over this at all, but I know that people send e-mails all the time about upcoming events at Kenyon, so it would be nice to have an events calendar page where e-mailed events could be collected and posted by someone who has time (I don't know who) or perhaps students could just add events to the calendar (though I would be afraid that students would abuse this, though maybe if you had to login and be connected to the Kenyon network to edit the page, people wouldn't write stupid things because everyone would know who posted it...). Then, if there is a quick link in the "For Students" section for "Events" or "Student Life" or something that would access the calendar and show the events cleanly for that day, I would actually know what was going on without too much hassle. Grinnell has something similar - http://www.grinnell.edu/student/
Also, I think it would be best to keep the background white. It looks more clean. However, if the heading (as in, the links and the Kenyon College title) were in different colors, a la www.cornell.edu, I think that might "spice it up." For simplicity's sake, I think it would also be nice if for the departmental pages if it did not say "Department of _____ at Kenyon College" - Kenyon's title should be at the top of every page (on the right, preferably) and "Department of" is a little redundant. I also acknowledge that this is done on the current department pages.
Some things I like about other college webpages:
www.pomona.edu/ - has a photo collage at the top, but the photos are blended together, which would be nice for the highlight stories (just smooth out the sharp edges in the pictures, but keep the square mosaic overlay)
www.swarthmore.edu - has a photo at the top, but it is blurry and the Swarthmore title is cut out sorta - perhaps would make the photomosaic easier to take, if it were softer and Kenyon were cut out of it
Anywho, thanks for listening ...again.
Laurel
Hi Laurel, Thanks for the feedback. Actually, we have an events calendar (http://calendar.kenyon.edu)located at the top of every page of the current web site. Anyone with a Kenyon username and password can submit events to it, so please encourage all your friends planning events or participating in groups on campus to include it on the calendar.
Patty Burns
Public Affairs
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