Why Redesign?

Jump to Comments

A question that has been asked when people hear we are redesigning northlandcollege.edu is often, “Why?”

The quick answer to that question is because web communication is rapidly changing and we want to make sure that the Northland College Web experience keeps pace. Web sites are in a constant state of evolution, and over the years, northlandcollege.edu has undergone several minor face lifts as well. We decided it was time for a more substantial change that did a better job of making the site easier to use while also providing more rich content that users are now expecting.

User expectations have changed a lot since 1996 when we first launched northlandcollege.edu. (See how the home page has changed since then.)

For instance:

• More sophisticated users have higher expectations. They get online with faster computers and connections. They view northlandcollege.edu with larger monitors that show graphics in higher resolution. They also see the web as a place to interact (think Facebook and MySpace), not just to get information.
• Broadband speed is much more common. The increase in speed has meant a booming video presence on the web (think YouTube) that has lead users to expect more video from northlandcollege.edu.
• Our site traffic is way up. Many users see northlandcollege.edu simply as a tool to view grades, read campus news, schedule classes, find a faculty member, etc. We need to be able to accommodate their needs as quickly as possible.

Just as Northland College isn’t the same college it was a 10 years ago, northlandcollege.edu is evolving as well.

1 Comment

Filed under Redesign