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Institute Websites to Become ‘Responsive’

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In 2014, more than 7.3 billion smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices will outnumber the world’s population.   

To meet this growing need, which was identified in the Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2011 to 2016, Georgia Tech is making responsive design a key component of its website makeover, which will begin to be rolled out this month.

“Responsive design allows websites to display clearly on any digital device, making sure that menu items and links are accessible and that text and images are legible and collapse elegantly to the screen size of the device on which they are being viewed,” said Dave Holston, senior director of creative strategy and brand management for Institute Communications.

Along with the responsive framework, the site will also have several new features including streamlined navigation, an improved search function, a new campus calendar, and an updated theme.

Many of the updates to the site are based on feedback from students, faculty, staff, and parents who reviewed early prototypes and participated in user testing during the design stages.

Visitors to the redesigned site will notice a bolder use of imagery, graphics, and video, as well as a renewed focus on storytelling as a way of communicating the Institute’s impact.  

“We need to show, as much as we need to tell the Georgia Tech story,” Holston said. “Our audiences need to be able to see our work, our people, and see how education and research impacts their lives.”

The new Web presence will be rolled out over the course of the 2013-14 academic year. Phase one will include a redesigned www.gatech.edu page and top-level pages including the President’s page and those for the news, research, academics, and strategic vision sites.

Phase two will include the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences sites and will be rolled out in September.

Phase three will include the College of Architecture, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, College of Computing, Office of Information Technology, and Office of Human Resources sites, which should all be finished by 2014.

Another important aspect of the redesign will be the creation of a Web Governance Committee.

“Tech’s websites need to be in a continuous state of improvement, so we are working with people from across campus to develop a long-term plan for their management,” Holston said.
The committee will be made up of staff, faculty, and students, and will meet regularly to establish policies, technical and brand standards, and direction for the evolution of the site.

For more information, contact Holston.

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  • Workflow Status:Published
  • Created By:Amelia Pavlik
  • Created:08/05/2013
  • Modified By:Fletcher Moore
  • Modified:10/07/2016