Matthew Murphy, Campus Carrier Deputy News Editor
Berry’s website is currently in the process of a redesign that is projected to be completed by late spring of 2014.
Cameron Jordan, director of e-communication services in the Office of Advancement, said the redesign is being done for several reasons, including making the site friendlier to the numerous users who access it with a mobile device.
“The Berry website design that we have right now was implemented with the re-branding initiative back in late 2008 [and] 2009,” Jordan said. “It’s time for us to pretty much rip the existing framework out from under the content and put something in place that’s not just updated but also of a responsive design.”
Jordan said a responsive design is one that is self-adjusting, fitting itself to the particular device that the website is being accessed on.
“So everything that you see on the screen will adjust itself into like a single column layout on your mobile device so that you can easily scroll up and down,” Jordan said.
Jordan said some of the other goals of the redesign include making the web page more user-friendly and making it easier to publish information on the website.
“Three of the main objectives are to better serve mobile device users, also to make the site easier to navigate and find information,” Jordan said. “The third objective would be to make it easier for campus web content posters to create content.”
The new webpage will feature styles that are more geared to capture the image of Berry.
“I’ve worked with the creative design team, Shannon Biggers and some of her team, to make sure that, as we’re comping out some designs for the website, that they match things like the Berry magazine and other marketing and promotional material that we use here on campus,” Jordan said.
Student workers will play a part in this redesign, focusing on the transfer of content from the old web page to the new page. Junior Bailey Merlin, one of the web content team members, said her job will focus on transferring content into department-specific portions of the website.
“Much like the other web content members, I have a few sections, such as the Fine Arts and English departments, that I will help make more smartphone friendly as well as more streamlined,” Merlin said.
Jordan said the redesign process began in September. The site is currently in the “design phase,” with the actual pages being designed.
Jordan said the new website is expected to launch in April 2014.
Jordan said the website will likely receive positive feedback from the Berry community.
“I can’t imagine that people would not be happy with the outcome of this redesign project,” Jordan said.