New website design for au.dk

The development of this new external AU website design has focused on making the layout more clear and enhancing usability for visitors, the primary target groups being future students, researchers from other universities, and partners.

One of the most significant changes involves the front page of au.dk. Here the complex requirements of the site’s target groups have been taken into account by, for example, creating a new menu structure in which the four original access points – Research, Talent development, Knowledge exchange, and Education – have been brought together and restructured into three new access points: Research, Education and Collaboration. From the front page, it will be easier for potential students to access information about specific degree programmes, and a directory covering all units will be established. In addition, the new design supports mobile platforms to a greater extent. The front pages for faculties, departments (Aarhus BSS, ST, HE)/schools (Arts) and centres will also be updated based on the same design principles.

Take a look at the new website design for au.dk here

The implementation phase will start with the reorganisation of au.dk’s front page in autumn 2016. Then the external websites at the faculties, departments (Aarhus BSS, ST, HE)/schools (Arts) and centres will follow, and the implementation phase will end in March 2017. The design and the implementation have been planned to affect the workload of the local TYPO3 editors as little as possible.

The new design is one out of five planned initiatives which are to improve AU’s internal and external web solutions. The other initiatives include improved search functionality on AU websites. This initiative is carried out as a separate project. Google plans to phase out the search engine, which AU is currently using, and is working on a new and as yet unknown solution. In order to ensure the best possible solution for the future, we will wait for this new search engine.

Five initiatives to improve AU web solutions

Background information

• The new design addresses the criticism which was presented in the internal problem analysis in 2014. One of the main points of criticism was that it is very difficult to find the needed information on the website. To a large extent, this is a consequence of the website structure.
• As a result of the problem analysis, a working group with representatives from the faculties was established. This working group reports to a steering committee headed by University Director Arnold Boon.
• The working group has carried out a thorough analysis and identified challenges and requirements.
• The new design was approved by the senior management team in June 2016.