Web Management Project

February 10, 2004 presentation by Jill Lenz. The PowerPoint presentation is also available for download; when you click on this .exe file, you will be prompted to open or save the file. Choose "save". Below it is available in text only form.

Goals for CVMBS Web Site

• Implement a content management system
• Code according to W3C Specifications
• Ensure compliance with proposed CSU Web Accessibility Policy
• Convert table layout to CSS-Positioning
• General housekeeping
• Review Information Design

Content Management System

• Site Objects?
• Dreamweaver - University supported, creates editable and uneditable regions
• Contribute - Pilot Program
  1. Insight editor Carol Borchert
  2. Department webmasters
  3. Career Services?
• University Relations future product?

W3C Specifications

Convert web pages from HTML 4.01 to XHTML 1.0 Transitional

• XHTML 1.0 is the first major change to HTML since HTML 4.0 was released in 1997 (4.01 released December 1999)
• More info at http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/

Accessibility

1. Follow CSU Web Access Guidelines
2. Use Online validators
3. Do manual checks
4. Update as necessary
5. Avoid timed redirects - removed from 6 previous department pages and removed the "how to" directions from the CVMBS Web Style Guide
6. Avoid PDFs as sole source of information, better to use as a printable version

CSS-P

• "Cascading Style Sheet Positioning"
• Replaces the table layout hack
• Need to redesign top navigation from pixel locked table to expandable/collapsible format
• Example: OT site designed by Craig Spooner

General Housekeeping

• Use TITLE Tag correctly
• Correct markup correctly: headers, paragraphs, lists, etc.
• Identify and delete old files, esp. from old departments
• Organize images and other files into folders
• Standardize file names: short, lowercase, no spaces, dot three extension
  (htm vs. html)

Information Design

• Navigation - Do link names match the title of the page it links to? - Is it organized well, consistent, easy to use?
  • Global: consistent elements across every page of the site - VTH? WebCT? Online Giving? Career Services?
  • Utility: A-Z Index? Search CSU? Staff Directory? Site Map? Search CVMBS?
  • Local: changes depending on the content
• Audiences/User Experience - portal concept with focus on key audiences?
• Goals for the main, secondary level and other pages

Timeline

• Critical Page Clean Up (except convert table layout to CSS-P) - Jill
• Contribute Pilot Programs - Jill and Carol Borchert
• General Housekeeping - All

1. Contribute Pilot Programs continue with four department webmasters - Jill, Sallie, Charlie, Mary, and Erin
2. Review Information Design - Redesign Committee
3. Complete Critical Page Clean Up, converting table layout to CSS-P with new design - Jill

• Review by website
• Prioritize with Webmasters help, by request

• Mass updates by one administrator
• Distinction between content managers and webmasters
• More time to refine design
• Utilize focus groups

Critical Pages

1. College Home Page
2. Four Department Home Pages
3. VTH Home page
4. CVMBS Templates in Web Style Guide

What You Can Do Now - All

1. General Housekeeping
2. Work in Dreamweaver site to rename files to standards
   1. Short names
   2. All lowercase
   3. No spaces
   4. Dot three extension (.htm vs. .html)
3. Identify Critical Pages for Phase III
4. Explore Information Design/Architecture

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InTech Lab | Instructional Technology

For feedback regarding this site, contact Jill Lenz at jill.lenz@colostate.edu.

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