Available as preview from current BYU Web site
University Communications and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) are working together to present a new BYU Home Page that further integrates Route Y.
The new design, which is available as a preview from the current Home Page, includes templates and other tools to help the entire university present a unified look to the world, said Brent Harker, director of Web Communications. (To view the page, visit http://preview.byu.edu/.)
For example, the new Employee News (YNews) (http://byunews.byu.edu/?tab=employee) and General News (http://byunews.byu.edu/) pages are examples of second-level design pages. The McKay School of Education page (http://msed.byu.edu/new/) is also displaying the new design, and the Marriott School page soon will be available.
"Under the new design, both the Home Page and Route Y will have the same look and feel. Some of the applications in Route Y won't have the same look at the beginning, but we hope that will happen later," said Harker.
On Thursday, a link appeared on the existing Home Page inviting people to view the new Home Page. The two pages will run in parallel during September.
"We hope that the campus community will look it over and give us feedback," said Harker. "We realize there are still a few rough spots, but with everyone's help we expect to make the BYU Home Page and Route Y the best Web service area our audiences, both on and off campus, have yet seen.
"Since January we have been meeting with Web developers across campus, many of whom have provided input, ideas and improvements for the new design," he said. "We have established a Web Communications Advisory Board to guide this implementation as well as recommend future improvements."
"We also are certifying campus Webmasters, which includes training in BYU standards and federal accessibility guidelines," Harker said.
The campus Web community has responded enthusiastically and is working together to make the whole BYU Web experience better and more accessible to its many publics.
The project is under the direction of Carri Jenkins, assistant to the president for University Communications, and Kelly Flanagan, vice president for Technology and CIO. The planning team includes Brent Harker, director of Web Communications; Bill Holman, product manager, identity and access management, OIT; Mike Brown, product manager, portal and content management, OIT; Jeff Bailey, project manager, OIT; Dave Kenison, chief engineer, portal and content management products, OIT; Chris Briggs, creative lead, OIT; Martin Garn, chief engineer, application utilities, OIT; and Larry Wood, professor of psychology.
Each of the planning team members used student talent to create major elements of the new Home Page. The planning team also consulted with David Eliason, creative director at BYU Publications and Graphics.
"We've received considerable cooperation from Continuing Education, Student Life, Student Academic and Advisement Services, the Library and other major campus entities in the creation of the new page," said Harker.
The redesign has implications beyond the Provo community. "We're working toward a Church-wide identity where other Church CES units will have a familial look and feel, and we're planning for a day when portal software—which allows a high degree of personalization and customization—will be used Church-wide," said Harker.
To give feedback, simply click on the Feedback link on the new Home Page, or e-mail webteam@byu.edu.
Writer: Cecelia Fielding
