RO website homepage redesign project sees the spotlight

In late July, WordPress administrators and editors from around the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus got a peek behind the curtain at the work that went into creating the Office of the Registrar’s new website homepage. Logan Reigstad, the RO’s communications specialist, presented an overview of the project during a meeting of the WordPress Users Community of Practice group on July 24. Speaking to a group of roughly a dozen, Reigstad showcased the early design concepts that shaped the finished product and highlighted the variety of data sources – from website analytics to the topics the front line services team deals with most commonly – that informed what content was on the final page. “One of our goals from the very beginning of this project was to put a greater spotlight on the most important information for students at any given time, and using those varying data sources is one way to make sure we accomplish that,” Reigstad says. “Attendees praised this approach as a great use of data.” Those who attended the presentation also appreciated seeing different layout approaches – one prioritizing a storytelling structure and the other ordering content based on its overall usefulness – and hearing how the project allowed stakeholders to provide as much or as little feedback as they chose. Since launching on May 21, early analytics show users are engaging well with the new additions to the homepage.