About the redesign of www.utoronto.ca
Welcome to a new www.utoronto.ca!
The U of T homepage has been redesigned to make it easier for you to find information and learn about the University of Toronto.
This redesign signals a new look for the homepage, but it is also the mark of changes to come as U of T continues to refresh and refine all its online spaces. Questions or comments? Refer to our frequently asked questions about the redesign of www.utoronto.ca.
Why redesign the homepage?
A homepage is a virtual front entrance to an organization. The U of T homepage needs to welcome visitors, introduce the University's values, goals, and place in the larger community, and help provide clear pathways to important information.
The new homepage follows on and supports the updated crest, wordmarks, and colour palette that identify the University. This new visual identity has been an opportunity both to update U of T's institutional identity online, and also to reassess and reorganize the homepage to provide a stronger and more positive impression on external and internal visitors alike.
The design process
The Department of Strategic Communications coordinated the redesign process on behalf of the University. Along the way, many members of the University community contributed their ideas and expertise. Of particular importance was the ongoing participation and input of the Webspace Working Group, a committee convened in 2007 at the request
of the Provost to make recommendations on priority projects related to
the University's webspace. The Webspace Working Group comprises representatives
nominated by the members of the Principals & Deans group and by the
Provost's Office.
The redesign project involved a number of stages:
- Strategy and recommendations: Representatives of the Webspace Working Group came together to identify homepage objectives. The key questions guiding this phase were: 1) Who are the audiences for the homepage?, and 2) What do those audiences need to find or accomplish here?
- Wireframes & prototypes: Based on the strategy and recommendations, we developed working prototypes - "wireframes" - to lay out the navigational structure of the page.
- Testing: Usability tests were held with current students, prospective students, faculty and staff to test the validity of the prototypes. These audiences examined every aspect of the prototypes, and helped explain what they did -- and didn't -- want from www.utoronto.ca.
- Refined wireframe: Based on the tests and sessions with homepage users, the prototypes were refined to create a final wireframe.
- Design: Using the principles of the University’s visual identity and based on the framework established by the working prototypes, a visual design was developed and applied to the wireframe.
- Implementation: Strategic Communications worked with the Web Services team to implement the new design within the central web content management system. Plans for ongoing management and future requirements and/or enhancements were also drafted.
What's next?
The homepage is a work-in-progress. As the needs of site visitors evolve and as the University's content is developed, the homepage will need to be refined and improved.
The most important takeaway from this redesign has been the insights gleaned from user consultation at every stage of the process. Taking time to talk with www.utoronto.ca users (i.e., current undergraduate and graduate students, prospective undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff) uncovered valuable insights into what different people expect from a website and how they react to different design decisions. We will be returning regularly to these user groups to test the homepage and ensure that www.utoronto.ca continues to meet their needs.
What do you think?
We're interested in hearing your thoughts on the new homepage. Based on the feedback already received, we've put together a list of responses to frequently asked questions about the redesign. Additional comments or questions about the redesign can be directed to homepage@utoronto.ca. Questions about the University's visual identity can be directed to visual.id@utoronto.ca.
