Website Update

Hello Penguins,

Earlier this winter your IT Services department began the process of reviewing our primary website (www.clark.edu) to improve the overall user experience.  Our goal is to improve the functional aspect of our web pages making navigation easier for our community and visitors who choose to explore Clark College via our web presence.  After several iterations we are proud to announce we will be implementing a number of changes that will improve the way our users interact with the site. 

Starting on March 15th, 2019 www.clark.edu will look quite different then our current site.  Prior to that date I wanted to take the time to allow a final preview to highlight the changes and to allow for additional feedback.  I have attached screen shots with arrows highlighting functionality changes and can summarize in categories below:

Navigation:
We will be following best practices for website design and development with changes intended to improve the user experience from mobile devices. 

This was accomplished by:

  1. Replacing the existing 3-layer header with a slim, 2-layer header
  2. Adding quick buttons links to the top 5 most utilized pages from the existing design
  3. Replacing the current navigation with a web standard featuring fewer than 7 options
  4. Updating the overall navigation and design to resemble that of a mobile app

Accessibility: 
Our website currently meets WCAG AA compliance.  You will notice the new header that adds to our compliance by including new Aria tags and features like skip-to content and keyboard accessible content throughout navigation 

Desktop Experience:
The new header adds easily recognizable icons in a horizontal display, allowing users the ability to find links quickly and more efficiently with less overall clicks.  The click-to-see navigation has been replaced with a hover over option, simplifying the interaction with the menu.  Additionally, we’ve introduced a web norm which has the header disappear while scrolling to maximize the visibility of the page content.  This new header allows site visitors to view calendars and other content more quickly and at a glance without navigating off the primary page. 

Design:
The overall home page design will highlight compelling Clark College success stories provided by the Communication and Marketing team.  You will notice the overall design to show a reduced amount of information while increasing the size of the visual elements for ease of navigation.  

I would like to thank the groups that have provided input and feedback throughout this journey. 

 

We invite you to provide your thoughts and feedback on the outlined changes and screenshots by sending an email message to webmaster@clark.edu

 

Thank you in advance for your input.

Sincerely,
Valerie Moreno
Chief Information Officer
Clark College

 

Graphic of upcoming changes.