UC Denver Website

1. Homepage and Visual Redesign Update UC Denver Website

2. Today’s Topics: • Homepage Strategy • Design Direction • Research Process • Communication Plan

3. Homepage Strategy • Problem: One homepage, many audiences • Solution: Tabbed sections for each audience

4. Homepage Wireframes

5. Design Strategy The website is one of the most prominent executions of the university’s brand. It must express the values and ambitions of our university and contribute to its image and reputation Goals: • Evolve not reinvent • Differentiate from peers • Communicate brand • Quantifiably measure

6. A design that differentiates us from our peers • We are a Premium brandthat projects confidence and a feeling of intrinsic worth • We are a Modern brandthat is innovative, entrepreneurial and responsive to our audiences’ needs • We are a Classic brandrich in history, quality and tradition.

7. Blending Design Styles

8. Clean & Light • Description: Minimalism seeks to avoid clutter with a "Less is more" motto.  It has sometimes been adopted to suggest exclusiveness and luxury. It uses relatively simple elegant designs; ornamentations are quality rather than quantity. Minimalism is determined by using the basic geometric shapes as outlines, using only a single shape or a small number of like shapes for components for design unity, using tasteful non-fussy bright color combinations, usually natural textures and colors, and clean and fine finishes • Keywords:Premium, superior, quality, value, sophisticated, elite , luxury • Our Brand words: creative

9. Contemporary & Modern • Description:Characteristic or expressive of recent times or the present; contemporary or up-to-date. Modern design relies on clean lines, smooth and polished surfaces, and few intricate details. It is not stark and cold, but contemporary design is comfortable and spacious, without clutter. Contemporary design focuses on neutral colors, such as creams, whites, browns, blacks and taupe. Bold colors, such as red or yellow, are for accent and can add warmth. • Keywords:Modern, current, innovative, advanced, progressive, enterprising , forward-looking, sleek, serious, professional • Our Brand words: Dynamic ,entrepreneurial, innovative, progressive

10. Traditional & Classic • Description: Belonging to the highest rank or class. Serving as the established model or standard and having lasting significance or worth.Embellishments and a simple gold, red and black color scheme can depict a classic design. • Keywords:Established, distinguished, elegant, enduring, formal, renowned, prominent, Serious, grounded, quality, reputable • Our Keywords: Supportive, diverse, experiential, engaged

11. Design Survey Goals: Benefits: Purpose-driven design Provide clear direction for designer Quantifiably measure success of final design Minimizes subjective design preferences • How will different website design styles impact our audiences’ impression of our university? • How do those impressions vary by audience?

12. Research Based Methodology “A successful website aligns university goals with user needs” • Goal-driven • User-centered • Measurable • Data-driven decisions

13. Homepage Research Process

14. University Strategic Goals

15. School, College, Unit Goals

16. User Research • University audience survey • School, college and department surveys • Website analytics • Website design survey

17. Communications/Approval Plan Leadership Unversity Community Step 1: Present strategy and wireframes Conduct design research (on-line) Step 2: Review designs (3) Group, in-person, on-line feedback Step 3: Present final designs Step 1: • Present research, strategy and wireframes • Approve creative brief and wireframes Step 2: • Review designs (3) Step 3: • Review feedback • Approve design