A new UA Home Page debuts

I’m sure most of you know by now that we rolled out a new UA Home Page yesterday at http://www.ua.edu.  This new version refreshes the Home Page with a modernized look and feel, simplified navigation, updated functionality, and close integration with the new Touching Lives campaign.  You’ll begin to see more about the latter as the fall goes on.  So what’s new about it?

What’s New?

• Updated, modernized look & feel
• Open layout; lots of whitespace
• Sized for 1024 pixels-wide monitors, allowing larger text sizes and elements across the board
• Simplified navigation through combination of primary and targeted navigation and “toolbox” - all in header
• Contextual, page-specific navigation on second level and below
• Addition of dynamic features-oriented image slideshow on Home (uses jQuery, and images will update frequently)
• Addition of jQuery-enabled Quick Links section on home page to better position wide range of links and resources
• Columnar grid layout, allowing for many combinations
• Greater flexibility and customization, including ability to totally customize everything between header and footer
• Greater ability to position and integrate content and content types
• Integrated with “Touching Lives” campaign

What’s Next?

• New web templates based on the design of the new Home Page will be available on September 28, 2009
• Many institutional web sites (that are managed by WebComm) will be transitioned to new look by October 26, 2009

We’re very excited about this rollout, and the reception has been fantastic so far.  We hope you like it, and we’re hopeful that our campus will benefit greatly from this effort.  Let us know if you have any further questions about this initiative.

By the way, if you’re interested, you can see a mini-history of the UA Home Page at http://www.ua.edu/aboutsite.html.  Enjoy!