Lawrence’s homepage soon will receive a major facelift.NetCasters, Inc. has been hired to oversee the redesign. NetCasters has promised to “implement easy to use and consistent navigation tools that support the goals of our target audiences” and to “make information easy to find by using search engines, site maps, and intuitive navigation structures.” The new and improved website should be fully functional by the beginning of the 2002-2003 academic year.
One reason for the change is to create ease in navigation. The current site, created over three years ago, increasingly requires changes in order to be accessible to the user. The new site will be easier to adjust and update. Virtually all of the information currently found on the website will remain on the new model, although the design and layout will almost certainly be altered. Naturally, new information will be added, as will new links and web pages. NetCasters’ “Lawrence Web Site Redesign Creative Brief” pledges “to create a fresher, more current look and feel that engages LU’s various constituencies and meshes with other elements of the university’s graphic identity.”
The revision in graphic design is meant to appear more artistic and user-friendly, merging attractiveness with efficiency. NetCasters’ communication strategy is to “reflect Lawrence’s stature as a prestigious, nationally-ranked Liberal Arts College. This will be an intrinsic element of the newly designed site, while not resorting to flashiness or trendy imagery.” Not only will current members of the Lawrence community be able to access the information they desire more easily; alumni and prospective students will as well.
Individuals with comments or suggestions about the website are urged to submit their views over the Internet at www.lawrence.edu/guide/2002redesigninput.shtml. Further information about the website redesign can be found at:
www.lawrence.edu/guide/2002redesign.shtml.