The University of the Fraser Valley has an updated website. The implemented updates, launched Feb. 13, focused on improving user experience by streamlining the site, decluttering, and adding improvements for mobile users.
According to the “New Page” breakdown on the myWeb section of the UFV site, some new features included in the update are the search engine optimization, improved experience for visitors by decluttering main pages, and streamlined access to program information. The update also included mobile-responsive design, meaning the website will change to fit the device it is being viewed on.
“The entire look and feel of the home page has changed,” Dave Pinton, UFV director of communications, said. “But more than the visual changes, the page has been simplified and cleaned up to offer a sleek and uncluttered flow that connects visitors in simplified and efficient pathways to the information they need.”
User feedback, gathered in 2014, helped kick the update process off. The main grievance reported was appearance, in that the site lacked “visual and aesthetic appeal,” the “green seemed overwhelming,” and the website needed to be mobile-friendly.
“The small UFV myWeb team has done a fantastic job seeing these priorities through to this page launch,” said Pinton.
The process for updating occurred in small doses over the past few years.
In 2015, the mobile responsiveness of the website began to be updated by the web team, as nearly 40 per cent of users visit the UFV homepage via a mobile phone. The redesign also featured accent colours, and a template that was easier to use on mobile devices. It also launched four audience-based mobile responsive portals. Pinton believed this aided in updating the look of the page.
“This is a vastly improved experience for them,” Pinton said. “The number of users will only increase over time, so we really needed to make this happen, and we have.”
Anthony Lepki, web producer for the UFV web team, and his crew lead the redesign efforts for the website. Lepki said that Louise Rousseau, marketing strategist at UFV, played a lead role in many aspects of the redesign and was also instrumental in the success of the project.
A brief video summary made by Rousseau is featured on the myWeb section of the UFV site. Anyone interested in giving feedback on the newly updated site can also visit this page.
