Collaborate, create, curate, and cut the crap
Elements: the Web Conference at Penn StateJune 13, 2016
Heather RussellLisa Richards
with Tyler Poole
The Tiny Team
We are part of a campus administrative unit that supports and guides the New York State extension system.
Heather Russell - Tech Lisa Richards - Content
Tyler Poole – Design (1/2 time, contract)
A partnership between federal, state, and county governments, Cornell University and the citizens of New
York State
What is Cornell Cooperative Extension ?
Informal education systemPresence in every corner of New York State
Programs are research-based & community driven
Defined as subordinate governmental agencies organized under a form of operation approved by Cornell University as agent for the state
Where we areOver 50 county offices plus the 5 boroughs of NYC operate
independently
We (administration) are the nearly-invisible hub in the middle…
…and our job is to showcase the extension programming and activity around the state and on campus
Let’s Talk Web
Content- Decentralized- Inconsistent- LOTS of it, not
always in an easy format for web
Tech- SharePoint (ugh)
Design- No design
expertise on staff
- Design by committee
Process- Just us- We’re also doing
everything else- Support, but very
little interest from management *
* We need to have a site. The site needs to say the right things (what are those?). The site needs to not be broken or embarrassing. Oh, and by the way can you add this random link/resource/PDF to a page I pay attention to?
CCE Website2009
CCE Website2015
• Everyone wanted their important thing on the home page
• Add Twitter – so content seems updated• Not responsive, looked awful on phone• Not accessible, never was a consideration• 190 pages• No direction – lots of random content• No people listed, anywhere• Old site was web transition from print• Who makes updates? Only Lisa.• Internal content• Too much content, old content• No focus – why do we have a site?• No audience specified• Too many words (academic speak)• …
Web Environment at Cornell
• Decentralized• Drupal• Cornell redesign• Outreach
highlighted• New web
insignia
We Need a Redesign
Our challenge
• Define the purpose of the public website• Agree on our audience• Understand who we are – nobody• Align new content structure to something concrete• Cut the crap – hundreds of outdated pages, old fact
sheets (PDFs), very disorganized • Make visually appealing, accessible, responsive
Who is our audience? (We asked. We got a lot of answers.)
Faculty membersDeansElected officialsStaff (campus and county)EducatorsProspective donorsAssociation boards of directorsVolunteersStudentsProgram participantsJob seekers
What do they have in common?
• They are all just regular people• Who need and want easily digestible, web-friendly
content
Who needs to approve?
Do we need to design by committee again?
What content can we provide?• County associations provide program content on
their sites• Best way to define CCE? 5 Program Areas• No programmatic content (CCE Admin = invisible)• Stories, events – from counties• People• Direct out to county sites whenever possible
How to bring in content
CURATE.
Drupal : Information Architecture
Design
CCE Website2015
Success!
Future• Web is ever-changing• Site changes are never-ending• Better positioned to make changes – – Bigger team– More respect– Accepted technology– Cornell links to site, profile is raised
Takeaways• Figure out who your audience is – why are we doing
this?
• Know what your content is – remember you’re the expert
• Learn your environment, find a few key supporters and take initiative
QUESTIONS?Heather Russell – [email protected]
Lisa Richards – [email protected] Poole – [email protected]
http://cce.cornell.edu@ccecornell
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