Thanks for sharing and asking for input. I hope it’s not too late for me to give feedback.
I would perfer a web page that amalgamates components of #2 and #3. My reasons are below:
– I prefer the colors of the navigation bar in #2 and #3 over that in #1. I think #1 has too much blue.
– I agree that the three big buttons mid page are helpful for navigation purposes. I also agree with Jonathan that the Registration button should focus on registration information, not information on applications/applying, which, for me, should logically be found in the “Apply” tab.
– I agree with Ed that it is better that the bottom half of the web page not be text only.
– I like the idea of an events calendar on the main page (like Brett) and agree with Sharlene’s comment that we should indicate all events both at and organized by CUCA.
Some things I would change, regardless of which scheme is chosen are as follows:
– I find all of the designs to be unnecessarily cluttered. I do not like the 2 or 3 different News sections at the bottom of the web page in addition to the news section in the top of the page, especially if the same information will appear in all sections (as the examples show). I am of the same opinion as Dr. Muir, that we don’t have that much news. I also think the website will look cleaner and be easier to navigate without including repetitive info. My personal experience looking at other post secondary instituions web pages tells me that as an outside user, I don’t look at the news section of anyone’s web page. If the news sections are indeed more likely to be viewed by internal people, I think we will be best served by having only one news section.
– I recommend putting an Alumni tab at the top, instead of having an Alumni news feed at the bottom.
– I agree with earlier comments that the tan color button clashes. I would pick a different color.
– I don’t particularily like the CCMS link at the top of any of the pages. I think all online services should be found in the same place in order to streamline the web page and reduce confusion for students.
– I also question having an Library email link. I’m not in the library and perhaps they think it is necessary; however, I question why whe have an email link for them and not other departments. I think we should be consistent.
Thanks again for sharing! It is exciting to see what is coming along!
My preference would be number 3. I like the idea of the large radio navigation buttons, however, my preference would be to see the radio buttons at the top of the “video picture” and would suggest that the radio buttons capture other information as well i.e. About Concordia, Giving, Libraries, etc. (similar to the U of T) to give it a cleaner look. My preference in the middle section would be to see full pictures of things that would rotate through providing various video clips and news stories, etc, instead of something that divides your attention and takes away things you really want to emphasis (would give it a less busy, cleaner feel).
I like #3 the best because of the large navigation buttons in the middle. Although the information is important, I don’t care for the events calendar in #1 and #2, as it takes up too much space and reduces the size of other graphics.
I also prefer numbers 1 and 3 because of the large buttons, but I prefer the colours of #1. Overall, I prefer the third option. I’d also love to see direct links to faculty services and the library.
I am elated to see the ‘Why Concordia’ button. Here is where we can hang our hooks.
About the differences between the samples:
1) I prefer the first and third to the second because I like the large middle buttons.
2) Under the second (Registration) button, however, I wouldn’t talk about applying but registering.
3) I prefer the appearance of the third, because I don’t like the appearance of the calendar. However, our employees and students might find that calendar handy and so might have our home page up more on their devices—thereby enabling greater internal communication.
I too prefer #3. I admit though that I might be influenced by the Apple marketing machine, because I prefer the clean look of the grey navigation bar (in #2 and #3) over the blue navigation bar found in #1.
I also don’t see the necessity for the calendar especially since it creates a “real estate” problem that requires either squashing the highlights (#1) or eliminating a new column (#2).
But I don’t feel strongly either way. I think all 3 options are an improvement over the existing site and give use a clean modern look.
I like the big buttons and I like an events calendar on the homepage. I know that it doesn’t provide information without clicking on it (although it arguably still functions as a calendar), but it is a clear way to navigate to something very important to share with our students, faculty and staff. I am anxious to have a coherent and functional calendar with links to additional information about deadlines, athletics, music, drama, CSA events, etc. If we drop the calendar from the homepage, I would like to see it as a VERY obvious link. This is even important for prospective students. When I check out other schools or organizations, I always look for a calendar of events to see what they have going on.
Other content notes:
I like the inclusion of an Alumni News section (not there in #2). I think the website should be a connection point for prospective students, current students and alumni.
A specific concern… Would things like Athletics and Music be found under the “Student Life” links, or would they be under “Program Info”? I know I have a vested interest in this, but I had no idea where to look for these things. I’m pretty sure I could find anything else I needed in one click.
I don’t understand the vertical 1-5 bar. It’s on all three samples. I assume the content to the right changes as you roll over them. I like the three main boxes with Student Life, Registration, and Program information. I agree with Steven Muir that it’s great to have a tab for Faculty Services, though it certainly can be small and inconspicuous.
All three sort of resemble MacEwan’s website. I voted for #2, but on second though, I think I like #3 the best. It seems to have the most frequently sought-out questions at hand.
#2 seem clearer and esier to read… as a deslexic with some visual impairment i could see and go through the page at a glance. the other two seamed to shimmer like a hot highway one worse than the other.
possibly the calander placement broke up the page?
#1 is too busy and #2 looks like it is the easiest to navigate while #3 seems to be riding the fence between the two. Complimentary colour coding would nice as brown/dirt gold clash with others. The biggest thing missing is a direct library link, emailing the libray from this page seems non-intuitive, 90% plus of people who wish to communicate with us want to surf our site to work or will call us, so an easy to find number would be more valuable…at least in my mind.
Of the 3, I prefer #2. I like the simplicity of the design; it appears less cluttered and easier to navigate. Also, I would consider making the video box larger, as images are more attention-grabbing than text, and will give the site a more eye-catching look. I would stay away from using too many “big buttons”, and perhaps change the color of the top toolbar, as it is not cohesive with the other colors in the scheme.
And PS — is there a way to have the “Faculty Services” link display (for faculty) on the website. It always seemed odd to me that we had bookmark that as a secret sort of link.
#3 – additional comments (always):
-I like an Events Calendar, but I don’t need to see it on the home page (clicking on Events would be a better place for me to find this). On the Events page, I would want to see ALL events AT Concordia and BY Concordia (e.g., if we are hosting a conference for the Anglican Church, it should be on our Event page with a LINK to their event). I would expect to see all our drama, music, athletic, recruitment events and significant deadlines (application/registration) all with links to appropriate places on our website).
-I like the colours
-I like the distinct quick links for Student Life, Registration and Program Info
-I like the tab for Faculty and Staff … I know our website is supposed to be for the “public” but I do miss being able to quickly find internal resources quickly
-I like the quick links at the top “Find a Person” etc.
-If we are planning on marketing our Conference Services more effectively, I suggest either a distinct tab or renaming “Events” to “Events/Conference Services”
-Suggestion: “Governance” or similar tab? (An area where we would highlight our Board, post our Annual Report, Comprehensive Institution Plan, etc.?)
-We need an easy map/locator for students to find classrooms and guests to find offices.
#1 is too cluttered. #2 has cleanest look but lacks the iimportant “register” button of #3. I wonder if we need three “News” categories — I’m not sure we have that much new News! Having one News category would reduce the clutter (perhaps have three sub-categories under that heading).
I am leaning towards layout #2. Although I think #1 is also very good, it is a bit ‘busy’ and with respect to #2, I agree with Ed’s comment that is good to see the Event Calendar graphic below the midpoint and not just all text; better visual balance. To utilize the best of both, I would respecfully suggest using #2 basic layout, move the Facebook invite back up beside “Search” in the top panel and then incorporate the 3 ‘big buttons’ mid-page like they are in 1 and 3. On an ‘easthetics’ note, I really like the faux brick fade out framing around the central core; it is subtle and unobtrusive while still lending a feeling of cosiness and warmth to the page.
#2 seems to be a good comprimise. #1 is too cluttered and #3 lacks detail like the calendar. I find the beige or brown/green colour in all of the samples off-putting.
I like the look of the big buttons on #1 and #3. But what really sticks out for me is the event calendar. I really think that it should be on the home page because it will be the main location to find out what is going on around campus.
I also prefer #2 (followed by #3 and then #1). All of these are quite good, but I like that #2 isn’t “all text” below the midpoint. I think #2 feels the cleanest, and also does a good job encouraging the user to look at the whole page rather than just the top half.
They look very modern! I like them all. I’m assuming they may have moving parts so I can’t point out my favorite without knowing/seeing the moving parts. What a great start!!
the big buttons for “student life”
“registration info” and “”program info” will be useful in getting students current and potential to where they need to be. but the colour scheme in the top of 3 is superior to that of 1.
If I were asked to rank the 3 samples it would be #2, #3, #1 with #2 most preferred and #1 least. #1 seems really cluttered. #3 is less cluttered but #1 seems to be the cleanest looking.
Thanks for sharing and asking for input. I hope it’s not too late for me to give feedback.
I would perfer a web page that amalgamates components of #2 and #3. My reasons are below:
– I prefer the colors of the navigation bar in #2 and #3 over that in #1. I think #1 has too much blue.
– I agree that the three big buttons mid page are helpful for navigation purposes. I also agree with Jonathan that the Registration button should focus on registration information, not information on applications/applying, which, for me, should logically be found in the “Apply” tab.
– I agree with Ed that it is better that the bottom half of the web page not be text only.
– I like the idea of an events calendar on the main page (like Brett) and agree with Sharlene’s comment that we should indicate all events both at and organized by CUCA.
Some things I would change, regardless of which scheme is chosen are as follows:
– I find all of the designs to be unnecessarily cluttered. I do not like the 2 or 3 different News sections at the bottom of the web page in addition to the news section in the top of the page, especially if the same information will appear in all sections (as the examples show). I am of the same opinion as Dr. Muir, that we don’t have that much news. I also think the website will look cleaner and be easier to navigate without including repetitive info. My personal experience looking at other post secondary instituions web pages tells me that as an outside user, I don’t look at the news section of anyone’s web page. If the news sections are indeed more likely to be viewed by internal people, I think we will be best served by having only one news section.
– I recommend putting an Alumni tab at the top, instead of having an Alumni news feed at the bottom.
– I agree with earlier comments that the tan color button clashes. I would pick a different color.
– I don’t particularily like the CCMS link at the top of any of the pages. I think all online services should be found in the same place in order to streamline the web page and reduce confusion for students.
– I also question having an Library email link. I’m not in the library and perhaps they think it is necessary; however, I question why whe have an email link for them and not other departments. I think we should be consistent.
Thanks again for sharing! It is exciting to see what is coming along!
My preference would be number 3. I like the idea of the large radio navigation buttons, however, my preference would be to see the radio buttons at the top of the “video picture” and would suggest that the radio buttons capture other information as well i.e. About Concordia, Giving, Libraries, etc. (similar to the U of T) to give it a cleaner look. My preference in the middle section would be to see full pictures of things that would rotate through providing various video clips and news stories, etc, instead of something that divides your attention and takes away things you really want to emphasis (would give it a less busy, cleaner feel).
I like #3 the best because of the large navigation buttons in the middle. Although the information is important, I don’t care for the events calendar in #1 and #2, as it takes up too much space and reduces the size of other graphics.
I also prefer numbers 1 and 3 because of the large buttons, but I prefer the colours of #1. Overall, I prefer the third option. I’d also love to see direct links to faculty services and the library.
I like #2 but would suggest adding the “big buttons” for ease of navigation.
I am elated to see the ‘Why Concordia’ button. Here is where we can hang our hooks.
About the differences between the samples:
1) I prefer the first and third to the second because I like the large middle buttons.
2) Under the second (Registration) button, however, I wouldn’t talk about applying but registering.
3) I prefer the appearance of the third, because I don’t like the appearance of the calendar. However, our employees and students might find that calendar handy and so might have our home page up more on their devices—thereby enabling greater internal communication.
I too prefer #3. I admit though that I might be influenced by the Apple marketing machine, because I prefer the clean look of the grey navigation bar (in #2 and #3) over the blue navigation bar found in #1.
I also don’t see the necessity for the calendar especially since it creates a “real estate” problem that requires either squashing the highlights (#1) or eliminating a new column (#2).
But I don’t feel strongly either way. I think all 3 options are an improvement over the existing site and give use a clean modern look.
Vast improvement is right!
I like the big buttons and I like an events calendar on the homepage. I know that it doesn’t provide information without clicking on it (although it arguably still functions as a calendar), but it is a clear way to navigate to something very important to share with our students, faculty and staff. I am anxious to have a coherent and functional calendar with links to additional information about deadlines, athletics, music, drama, CSA events, etc. If we drop the calendar from the homepage, I would like to see it as a VERY obvious link. This is even important for prospective students. When I check out other schools or organizations, I always look for a calendar of events to see what they have going on.
Other content notes:
I like the inclusion of an Alumni News section (not there in #2). I think the website should be a connection point for prospective students, current students and alumni.
A specific concern… Would things like Athletics and Music be found under the “Student Life” links, or would they be under “Program Info”? I know I have a vested interest in this, but I had no idea where to look for these things. I’m pretty sure I could find anything else I needed in one click.
I don’t understand the vertical 1-5 bar. It’s on all three samples. I assume the content to the right changes as you roll over them. I like the three main boxes with Student Life, Registration, and Program information. I agree with Steven Muir that it’s great to have a tab for Faculty Services, though it certainly can be small and inconspicuous.
I prefer layout #3. An event listing is important but the calendar box itself provides little info without further clicking.
Overall, a huge improvement with great layout/colours. Thanks for letting us see these and provide initial comments.
All three sort of resemble MacEwan’s website. I voted for #2, but on second though, I think I like #3 the best. It seems to have the most frequently sought-out questions at hand.
#2 seem clearer and esier to read… as a deslexic with some visual impairment i could see and go through the page at a glance. the other two seamed to shimmer like a hot highway one worse than the other.
possibly the calander placement broke up the page?
#1 is too busy and #2 looks like it is the easiest to navigate while #3 seems to be riding the fence between the two. Complimentary colour coding would nice as brown/dirt gold clash with others. The biggest thing missing is a direct library link, emailing the libray from this page seems non-intuitive, 90% plus of people who wish to communicate with us want to surf our site to work or will call us, so an easy to find number would be more valuable…at least in my mind.
Of the 3, I prefer #2. I like the simplicity of the design; it appears less cluttered and easier to navigate. Also, I would consider making the video box larger, as images are more attention-grabbing than text, and will give the site a more eye-catching look. I would stay away from using too many “big buttons”, and perhaps change the color of the top toolbar, as it is not cohesive with the other colors in the scheme.
And PS — is there a way to have the “Faculty Services” link display (for faculty) on the website. It always seemed odd to me that we had bookmark that as a secret sort of link.
#3 – additional comments (always):
-I like an Events Calendar, but I don’t need to see it on the home page (clicking on Events would be a better place for me to find this). On the Events page, I would want to see ALL events AT Concordia and BY Concordia (e.g., if we are hosting a conference for the Anglican Church, it should be on our Event page with a LINK to their event). I would expect to see all our drama, music, athletic, recruitment events and significant deadlines (application/registration) all with links to appropriate places on our website).
-I like the colours
-I like the distinct quick links for Student Life, Registration and Program Info
-I like the tab for Faculty and Staff … I know our website is supposed to be for the “public” but I do miss being able to quickly find internal resources quickly
-I like the quick links at the top “Find a Person” etc.
-If we are planning on marketing our Conference Services more effectively, I suggest either a distinct tab or renaming “Events” to “Events/Conference Services”
-Suggestion: “Governance” or similar tab? (An area where we would highlight our Board, post our Annual Report, Comprehensive Institution Plan, etc.?)
-We need an easy map/locator for students to find classrooms and guests to find offices.
#1 is too cluttered. #2 has cleanest look but lacks the iimportant “register” button of #3. I wonder if we need three “News” categories — I’m not sure we have that much new News! Having one News category would reduce the clutter (perhaps have three sub-categories under that heading).
I am leaning towards layout #2. Although I think #1 is also very good, it is a bit ‘busy’ and with respect to #2, I agree with Ed’s comment that is good to see the Event Calendar graphic below the midpoint and not just all text; better visual balance. To utilize the best of both, I would respecfully suggest using #2 basic layout, move the Facebook invite back up beside “Search” in the top panel and then incorporate the 3 ‘big buttons’ mid-page like they are in 1 and 3. On an ‘easthetics’ note, I really like the faux brick fade out framing around the central core; it is subtle and unobtrusive while still lending a feeling of cosiness and warmth to the page.
#2 seems to be a good comprimise. #1 is too cluttered and #3 lacks detail like the calendar. I find the beige or brown/green colour in all of the samples off-putting.
I like the look of the big buttons on #1 and #3. But what really sticks out for me is the event calendar. I really think that it should be on the home page because it will be the main location to find out what is going on around campus.
I agree with Bobbi, the 3 buttons under the showcase are valuable but I think the colour scheme in 1 is superior with fewer hues but more colour.
I also prefer #2 (followed by #3 and then #1). All of these are quite good, but I like that #2 isn’t “all text” below the midpoint. I think #2 feels the cleanest, and also does a good job encouraging the user to look at the whole page rather than just the top half.
#3 seems least cluttered and most accessible to me, with a nice layout.
They look very modern! I like them all. I’m assuming they may have moving parts so I can’t point out my favorite without knowing/seeing the moving parts. What a great start!!
Thanks for sharing Dwayne!
C
the big buttons for “student life”
“registration info” and “”program info” will be useful in getting students current and potential to where they need to be. but the colour scheme in the top of 3 is superior to that of 1.
If I were asked to rank the 3 samples it would be #2, #3, #1 with #2 most preferred and #1 least. #1 seems really cluttered. #3 is less cluttered but #1 seems to be the cleanest looking.