Internet users might soon notice a few changes when browsing Ohio State’s official Web site.
In an effort to make browsing easier, the new media unit in University Relations will launch a new design on May 16, said David Hoover, senior director of marketing communications at OSU.
The organization of the new Web site will consist of a main home page with links to 12 specialized sites such as Current Students, Faculty and Staff, and Athletics he said.
“(The new site) will reflect a new visual identity system,” Hoover said. “It will begin to impose elements of continuity.”
Hoover said these elements will include consistency of color and other elements such as the presence of the OSU logo on each page. The current design loses continuity once the user gets beyond a certain depth within the site, he said.
Jim Burgoon, senior web designer for new media at OSU, said the overhaul was necessary to make the pages of the site more attractive, faster to load, and more consistent with the current standard practices of Web site design.
The project began last summer when the new media department began passing around rough sketches and ideas, he said.
Hoover said prior to this project the basic design of the Web site had not changed since 2000, and it was time for an alteration.
The main purpose of the reorganization and redesign of the site is to help various audiences find the information they are looking for, Hoover said.
“With one click (the user) will be more likely to quickly get what they need,” he said.
Ted Hattemer, director of new media at OSU, said there were problems with the organization of the old site that made navigation confusing to many users.
“The problem was the mass collection of links growing uncontrollably,” he said.
With the new system of pages, Hattemer said he hopes navigation will be easier for specific groups. No information will be lost in the reorganization, he said.
Hoover said the new media department is relying on specific OSU Web site managers to be partners in the management. Students Affairs manages a lot of the content on the Current Students page, making sure pertinent information reaches students, he said.
Ruth Gerstner, director of communications for Student Affairs, said she is excited about the new organization and design of the site.
The new site will make things easier to find and will be much more accessible for anyone browsing the site, she said.
Each main link on the Web site and the content involved with it will be maintained by specific areas of the university to help keep information more updated, Hattemer said.
So far the reorganization has gone well because it is not an entirely new approach, but rather it is a different and rejuvenated approach to Web site navigation, he said.
Hoover said he hopes the new design will still be able to showcase the diversity and personality of different areas of OSU. He said updates and improvements will constantly be made.
“It is a dynamic process that is never done,” Hoover said. “We plan to continue to tweak it.”
