Less than ten years into the Internet explosion, any business or organization without a sleek, navigable website risks losing customers, and often just looks out of touch. In an effort to measure up with other premiere websites, Tufts' home page has undergone an intense review and revamping.
The original site had not been redesigned in nearly six years, and Tufts' Information Technology Council, a group which oversees information technology matters for the entire University, recognized the need for a change.
"We wanted a fresh look for the new semester, and the former page was no longer representing the University well enough, and needed immediate replacement," said Dan Weir, Director of Information Technology Support.
The site's changes are largely cosmetic, the most noticeable improvement being the rotating pictures on the front page. The picture from the 1990 website was antiquated and required a longer loading time. Now, because of a new graphics program, the loading time has decreased.
"We wanted to do something quickly to get the ball rolling," June Aprille said. "We made quick changes to improve the appearance and functionality of the web site."
With the groundwork in place, technology groups will continue to improve the site. A new group called Web Central, made up of Website Developer Teresa Loftin and Web Consultant Mike Lupi, will continue to update the site. Web Central will also appoint an overseer who will manage the University's future in Web development.
The project didn't happen overnight, however. Last February, the University formed Web SWAT, a cross-University group, which studied the short-term updating of the page. Members of the group evaluated the website and surveyed students and faculty members at all the Tufts campuses.
"We did a review of what we had in comparison to what other universities have, and an assessment of the functionality of the website," said Aprille, biology professor and member of the Web SWAT team. This assessment continued well through the spring as Tufts hired an outside web consultant to aid in the assessment of the pages.
Several potential new designs for the website were generated and the members of Web SWAT presented each successive design to their departments and user communities. Consultation stemmed from students and faculty at Tufts and various high schools.
"It wasn't a scientific study or a focus group, but we had broad University input on the current pages," said Weir, also chair of Web SWAT.
"We put up all the designs on the Web, and started off with three designs that were fine tuned and narrowed down to the design that included most of the [features] that people seemed to like."
Since many felt the old website did not represent the University well, Web SWAT was asked to recommend architectural changes. The committee created a new group called Web Work, also chaired by Weir, which oversaw the aesthetic alterations to the web site.
The timetable for the project was intense leaving Web Work only two months to meet the Aug. 15 deadline. Loftin and Lupi worked together to design the new pages.
Immediate goals for the future of Tufts' home page include the adoption of templates and standards across all university groups. Weir hopes to include xml, database access, and portals on the Web pages in the future.
Xml is the next generation of html, and provides more control and flexibility to design Web pages. With xml, Web designers "can sense who might be coming in, what they might be looking for, and can design a page around what a particular person will want to see," Weir said.
Portal is a navigation method that allows Web surfers to be sent in different directions based on what door they wish to enter - for example alumni, students, or parents.
The members of the Web groups are excited about what the future holds for the Tufts web site. More usability studies are in the works to obtain feedback from all areas of the University. "The next design will incorporate a lot of that information," Loftin said.
