Web Strategy and Development Blog

Redesigned kinesiology website: A fresh look for active programs

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The redesigned kinesiology website recently launched. It’s the latest outcome of the Academic Website Project.

Academic websites have a tremendous influence on the college search process. Redesigns provide new content, design and photo/video elements.

Three specific areas we improved on kinesiology were:

Photography

Students in kinesiology undergraduate programs
All five of kinesiology’s undergraduate degree programs have hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Kinesiology has eight overall degree programs. However, the department lacked current photos.

Through several photo sessions, we gave the kinesiology website an appearance overhaul.

Getting new photos creates an accurate depiction of their programs.

Respiratory therapy students during a class.
The respiratory therapy program includes a clinical portion.

Clear application/admission language

We made it easier for future students to major in a kinesiology program.

Each program sub-site has prominent call-to-action (CTA) buttons that aid recruiting efforts. For undergraduate programs:

  • First, apply to Missouri State
  • Then, declare your major (to a kinesiology program)

The application/admission process is a bit different for graduate programs, but the concept we used remained the same.

Track options

Four of kinesiology’s five undergraduate programs include track options or emphasis areas, which are specific areas of focus within the overall program.

We wanted to make these options better known.

Track options/emphasis areas now have feature blocks that provide more information about that specific area and its outcomes.

Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Kai Raymer, content strategist in web strategy and development
  • Photography: Bob Linder, Kevin White and Jesse Scheve, visual media
  • Videography: Carter Williams, student videographer in web strategy and development
  • Design: Abby Isackson, graphic designer in editorial and design services
  • Editors: Sara Clark, director in web strategy and development and Nicki Donnelson, assistant director of university communications
  • Implementation: Student coders Alyson Jones and Nikki Jenkins along with Brian Heaton, content management programmer/analyst, in web strategy and development
  • Client: Dr. Sarah McCallister, kinesiology department head

Redesigned Doctor of Pharmacy website: Connecting one program at two schools

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The redesigned doctor of pharmacy website recently launched. It’s the latest outcome of the Academic Website Project.

Academic websites have a tremendous influence on the college search process. Redesigns provide new content, design and photo/video elements.

Three specific areas we targeted for improvement on pharmacy were:

Content

Top part of Doctor of Pharmacy's Admission and Application Requirements page.
The admission and application requirements page details how students qualify for, and apply to, the program.

The previous pharmacy website only had a handful of pages. We built the new site from the ground up, which meant creating and formatting content for pages like:

Most users access a website to solve a problem.

Creating these pages helped answer crucial questions such as how to apply and how to finish the program, and how to get financial help.

Through reverse transfer, you can even complete your Missouri State bachelor’s degree while you’re in the program.

We kept duplicate content to a minimum. Most links refer back to the UMKC website, which lessens the chances for content becoming outdated.

Clarity

Details about collaborative program on Doctor of Pharmacy homepage.
The intro message on the Doctor of Pharmacy website notes that it’s a collaborative program.

Pharmacy is a collaborative program between the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and Missouri State.

You’re part Kangaroo, part Bear.

You take UMKC pharmacy courses at the Missouri State site in Springfield. UMKC provides the scholarships and financial aid.

You have access to Missouri State student resources and services, but you end up with a UMKC Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree.

We wanted to make this unique partnership clear throughout the site.

Multimedia

The Careers and Outcomes page includes a video detailing what you can do with a pharmacy degree.

We shined a new light on the program with photo sessions, video packages and Spotlight stories.

Photos of students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
New photography highlights degree options and where graduates of the program can work.

Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Kai Raymer, content strategist in web strategy and development
  • Photography: Kevin White and Jesse Scheve, visual media
  • Videography: Carter Williams, student videographer in web strategy and development
  • Design: Veronica Adinegara, senior graphic designer in editorial and design services
  • Editors: Sara Clark, director in web strategy and development and Andrea Mostyn, director of university communications
  • Implementation: Student coders Alyson Jones and Nikki Jenkins along with Brian Heaton, content management programmer/analyst in web strategy and development
  • Client: Paul Gubbins, Associate Dean Vice Chair and Professor of UMKC School of Pharmacy

Mobile-friendly academic website conversions: Spring semester progress

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Campus scene with many students on mobile phonesMobile usage is growing exponentially — particularly among our largest demographics of prospective students, Millennials and Gen Z.

Last year, Google experienced two mobile milestones:

  • The mobile tipping point, in which the number of mobile searches in the U.S. surpassed searches on PCs
  • Mobilegeddon, a change to the Google search algorithm that benefits mobile-friendly websites over their non-mobile-friendly counterparts

Academic websites converting to mobile

In response to the growing need to reach our audience on mobile devices, we began the process of converting all academic department websites to a mobile-friendly format in 2015.

The conversion process is not a complete redesign. Instead, it converts each site to the mobile template and reorganizes existing content for consumption on mobile devices.

Like the academic website redesigns, conversions are funded by the provost’s office and processed on a college-by-college rotation according to the deans’ prioritization.

Websites that are converted to the mobile-friendly template will later undergo redesign, during which new content, multimedia elements and design elements will be created. This two-step process allows our office to optimize all academic websites for mobile consumption as quickly as possible.

Progress in the first half of 2016

During the first six months of this year, we published the following mobile-friendly website conversions:

Progress anticipated for the second half of 2016

An additional 14 academic websites are either currently in conversion or scheduled to begin the process before the start of the fall semester. We expect all of these conversions to be published during the first half of the fall semester.

Redesigned biology website: Diverse programs in a mobile-friendly format

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The redesigned biology website recently launched as part of the Academic Website Project. It is the fifth academic website to receive a full redesign for the mobile-friendly template, a process that includes the creation of new content, design and multimedia elements.

Clarifying programs and resources

The biology department is home to a diverse range of programs and research centers. Given the options and opportunities for prospective students, providing clarity became a focus of the redesign.

Each program now has its own sub-section on the website, where information regarding that program is gathered.

The department’s research centers — meaningful recruitment tools — are highlighted in a prominent section of the website’s homepage. The Facilities and Resources page then features expanded descriptions of each center.

The research centers of the biology department, as featured on the homepage

Photo and description of the Gulf Coast Research Lab, as depicted on the facilities and resources page

Using video resources

This redesign included the creation of one new video, which highlights the department’s emphasis on research:

In addition, we were able to leverage videos that were created for other purposes. For example, the following video of a biology alumnus became a valuable addition to the Careers and Outcomes page for the Master of Science in Biology.

Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Lucie Amberg, new media specialist in the office of Web and new media
  • Design: Veronica Adinegara, senior graphic designer in the office of publications
  • Photography: Kevin White, senior photographer in photo services
  • Videography: Sara Silkwood, videographer in photo services
  • Editor: Nicki Donnelson, public relations specialist in University communications
  • Implementation: Brian Heaton, content management programmer in the office of Web and new media, with Lucie Amberg and Sara Clark, director of the office of Web and new media, and student coder Max Orlando

Redesigned MSAS website: Highlights professionalism and flexibility

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The redesigned website for the Master of Science in Administrative Studies recently launched as part of the Academic Website Project.

Flexibility – a complex selling point

Prospective students get excited about the administrative studies curriculum, which allows them to tailor leadership skills to their individual goals and experiences. This flexibility, however, adds complexity. Explaining the curriculum with clarity and concision became a focal point of the redesign.

Comprehensive program requirements

We accomplished this by building a Core Curriculum page, which outlines the curriculum in terms of its goals.

Website sections dedicated to each of the pre-designed option areas round out the program’s offerings:

A section dedicated to the Individualized Studies option outlines how students may design their own curriculum.

The section of the administrative studies website that is dedicated to international studentsOnline and international options

The MSAS program’s appeal to working professionals and international students also became important to the website’s redesign.

Many courses are offered online, which makes the program a great choice for people who want to pursue graduate studies while working. We created a page specifically for the Online Degree Option, which makes it easy for students to access the resources they need to succeed as online students.

Administrative studies is also an appealing option for international students, and because these students have specific needs and requirements we dedicated a section of the website to serving them.

Video assets

Current trends in digital media made video a critical part of the content strategy for the MSAS website. We created the following video specifically for this project.

In addition, we utilized the following videos featuring MSAS students and alumni, which were created for other University projects.

 Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Lucie Amberg, new media specialist in the office of Web and new media
  • Design: Veronica Adinegara, senior graphic designer in the office of publications
  • Editor: Don Hendricks, director of the office of University communications
  • Implementation: Brian Heaton, content management programmer in the office of Web and new media, with Lucie Amberg and Sara Clark, director of the office of Web and new media, and student coders Brandon Fitzlaff and Max Orlando