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Goals in creating this design were as follows: Create Uniform User Experience. When applied to University websites, the Core Design will ensure consistency in look, feel, layout, behavior, functionality, navigation, and branding. As students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors traverse the University Web, they will experience a vast landscape that is polished, professional, clean, orderly, interconnected, familiar, and comforting. Standardize Navigation. Most sites have at least two levels of navigation, and in older sites, those levels can appear in various locations on a page. In the Core Design, the placement and behavior of navigational elements has been standardized. Users no longer have to learn new ways to navigate as they go from site to site. They can concentrate on the content. Integrate Search Features. Search functions on websites are typically the most used tools of a site. In a Core Design site, every page contains built-in search functions with which users can directly search (1) the site only, (2) the entire BU Web, or (3) the University Directory. Include Timely Content. The compact navigation menus of Core Design sites free up space for more content. Many sites use this space to serve dynamically generated and automatically updated content streams of timely and important information directly on their home page. This increases the value and use of that page. Commonly used content streams include calendars, news releases, and announcements. Create Flexible Design. The clean, small footprint of the Core Design can easily be applied to any official University site. Sites can take on a unique personality through site-specific graphics and photographs and with specialized content, such as calendars or announcements. Establish a Strong Brand. Older sites employ a variety of color schemes, diluting the ability of the University to establish a consistent look and feel. The Core Design uses University colors (red and white) as its primary colors. The design also incorporates official branding elements in a standard way. These elements have been optimized for the web. Adhere to Principles of Universal Access. All Core Design sites are Section 508 compliant, search-engine friendly, and are compatible with the full range of commonly used browsers. In additional, all sites conform to an 800-pixel width. Statistics show that 25% of users have an 800x600 monitor. Use Solid and Reliable Technology. The Core Design fully uses templates, library files, cascading style sheets, and other proven features that ease the burden of building and managing a site. |
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