The Web Development project is one of the key strategic projects to support the delivery of the University strategy 2020. The project is led by Sophie Dear, Head of Digital within Communications and Marketing.
Could you explain to us why we are undertaking the web development project?
The web is one of the primary communication tools for the University. Its reach and influence on a global scale grows daily, as do the expectations of our customers and stakeholders that engage with us through this channel.
While user testing and market research suggest that external perceptions of the University website are by no means negative, our current situation is not sustainable. We need to fundamentally change the way we produce, maintain and govern our website. Our web presence currently consists of hundreds of thousands of pages, many that duplicate each other or are simply not kept up-to-date. With so much choice and ‘noise’ on the web, our content needs to be findable, engaging, concise and targeted to the user it is intended for.
What are the key features of the project?
The project takes a holistic approach and addresses all areas that play a role in the development of our web. These include content, navigation and structure, design, usability, governance and the underlying Content Management System. The project is split into six key work packages that in turn address each of these areas. Information on each of the work packages can be found on the project SharePoint site.
How will this impact on our day-to-day working lives?
Throughout the course of the project we will be engaging with staff at all levels from all faculties and professional services. We aim to minimise the resource required from University staff by hiring additional team members to carry out the actual work, however advisory input is required to gain insight into the objectives of the faculties and services. Students and external stakeholders will also be engaged throughout the project to test and refine outputs. Once completed the project will deliver benefits to staff in the way they maintain their web content.
What will be the impact for students and applicants?
The project scope has been set to web pages for external facing audience groups and has been prioritised to ensure the work packages that deliver external facing improvements for these groups are completed first. In terms of the benefits delivered, prospective students and other key stakeholders will be able to access our websites from any device or location, they will be able to find the content they need easily and intuitively and engage with us in a method of their choosing.
Further information
Further information can be found on the Web Development project SharePoint site or to sign up for the monthly project update, please email digital@soton.ac.uk