Northern Arizona University will soon unveil its revamped website, featuring a content-focused approach and a refreshed design that will appeal to site users.
As part of a phased rollout beginning in late July, the initial launch will feature the university’s home page and associated landing pages, including Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and the Graduate College. Colleges, schools and academic departments will soon follow. More than 300 sites make up the university’s official web presence.
Sandra Kowalski, director of university marketing, said the approach to the site’s content and design was informed by extensive research, including focus groups, surveys and analysis of industry best practices. The project is an outcome of a university initiative known as Elevating the Digital Experience at NAU, called EDEN.
“The research guided our approach and informed our outcomes,” Kowalski said. In particular, she noted, internal users reported that the existing site underrepresented the university’s capabilities and offerings, and outside visitors said the site was “visually unappealing and inconsistent, difficult to navigate and not particularly distinctive.”
“The new content strategy and design,” Kowalski said, “is aimed at helping the university establish credibility and build awareness of its distinctiveness with key audiences, who are primarily prospective students and their parents, and at redirecting users quickly to the places they need to go.”
The university’s new web design, along with a design rationale, is now available for viewing. For information about the EDEN initiative, visit nau.edu/eden.