Website Redesign
- For all web site redesigns, the University web policy requires that the your website go into Cascade Server.
- For an example of the finished product, see: http://mesas.emory.edu
What is Cascade Server?
Cascade Server is the new web site editing system at Emory. It has many advantages, including:
- It's free. Unlike Dreamweaver or Adobe Contribute software, you don't have to pay for the software or any upgrades to it.
- You can use any computer. Cascade lets you edit your website from anywhere with access to the internet.
- We can share content. For example, you will automatically have the Class Schedules (Atlas) and Course Descriptions (from the catalog) on your department site in Cascade.
Redesign Timeline & Process
- First, you should contact the Web Team and express a desire to redesign your departmental web site.
- After that, the Web Team will set up the initial meeting with you about how to prepare for migrating into Cascade. This will involve deciding on the main categories for content on your website, as well as the basic content that will go on your homepage.
- Next, you should sign up for training on how to use Cascade Server.
- After you've received training, you'll have four (4) weeks in which to move or create content within your new Cascade Server site. Although the web team won't move your content for you, we will be available during these 4 weeks to help clear up any confusion left after training.
- If your site is ready to go by the end of those 4 weeks, we'll flip some invisible switches, hand you an archived copy of your old site on CD, and make your new Cascade site live and beautiful for the world to see.
- However if, after 4 weeks, your site is not ready to go, your project will be put on hold and fall back to the bottom of our project queue.
Preparing for your Initial Meeting and for your Migration
To get your department's site ready to migrate into Cascade, there are a number of things you can do in advance of the initial meeting that will make the meeting faster and easier.
- Outline your current Site by creating a sitemap of what content lives on your site right now. This can be as simple as making a bulleted list in Microsoft Word.
- Get a sense of what changes might be needed to how your website is organized by doing the following:
- Determine your audience(s). For instance, does your website/department offer content for undergraduate students, graduate students, potential faculty, current faculty, community, donors, etc.?
- Briefly state your relevance. Decide on a few sentences that clearly express why your department is relevant to your audiences. Heck, you could even ask your audiences what they like about you.
- Determine your services and opportunities. What do you offer your audiences? Why do they visit your website?
- List your distinguishing characteristics. Take a look at similar department web sites at other research universities. What makes your department distinct from them?
- Draft a new sitemap. You've thought (any maybe even asked) your audiences about their reasons for visiting your site. Now, create a draft sitemap reflecting how they would like to see your website. Focus on how you would organize the site to make it easy for your audience to find what they are seeking. See an example of a good folder structure below.
- Send your current and new sitemaps to the College Web Team (collegesite@emory.edu), preferably before your initial meeting.
- Create and edit text. Does your newly-drafted sitemap include content you haven't written yet? If so, start writing. You might also revise your current content to make it easier to read on the web.
- Collect images. Gather all your images together, and decide if you need to pay for more photos from University Photo/Video. Once you're ready, let us know and we'll send you our dropbox information, so you can upload your photos to a shared location.
Example of Good Folder Structure
