Pilot Program
Web CoE methodology
Document feedback on client website usability, design, content and features through client intake briefs, consultation interviews and research:
- Content inventory
- Information architecture
- Usability testing
Document existing university services and tools:
- Track and triage client needs for which there isn’t a current service/product offering.
- Work with the Website Implementations Guidelines Group and other campus stakeholders to purchase or develop solutions that meet client needs.
Document findings:
- Present findings of the data and information analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the website.
- Make recommendations to address the website management needs.
- Map the recommendation to service offerings, including website management resources, tools, training, licenses and policies.
Identify scope of work:
- Document the scope of the work and communicate with campus units on an agreeable timeline. Review the technical specifications and requirements.
- Define and assign tasks that can be completed by the Website Management CoE program team members and within the client’s unit.
- Draft client engagement agreement that requires constant monitoring, evaluation and improvement.
- Assist with migration.
- Assist with service offering training.
Early adopters
The Web CoE is facilitating the Tech Services Consulting Service’s work with four early adopter clients in the proof-of-concept phase to define our processes, tools and strategies.
College of Applied Health Sciences
Scope: Migration of four websites from Drupal to IL Theme for WordPress instance on cPanel.
- The College of Applied Health Sciences
- Speech and Hearing Science
- Health and Kinesiology
- Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Status: We are currently 75% through the AHS content audit. The old website content has been migrated to the development site, and the department content is currently being separated and migrated to their respective development sites. Updates with refreshed content are still needed. The navigation test had over 125 participants and the results have been analyzed and implemented in the new website structure. The SHS website committee is working on auditing their content now. We have completed Phases 1 and 2 of our plan and are on track for our Phase 3 milestone to be complete in December 2024. Following a previous decision to split the website into individual department sites, the launch deadline was extended to May 2025 to launch all four sites simultaneously.
Costs incurred with external vendor:
- Some content analysis, inventory, interviews and research: $50,000
College of Media
Scope: Migration from vendor Drupal site to IL Theme for WordPress instance on cPanel.
Status: Content has been migrated to the development site. We have been conducting one to two weekly working meetings with client to add functionality, solidify information architecture and ensure content displays correctly. The client engagement agreement has been signed. Page layouts and designs have been reviewed and approved by the Dean. Project owner continues to work with Dean and college units to solidify information architecture, category taxonomies, and tags.
Costs incurred from external vendor:
- FY18, website redesign = $25,000
School of Social Work
Scope: Migration from a complex vendor site to IL Theme for WordPress instance on cPanel.
Status: We are in the process of finalizing the analysis for two of the Treejack studies and proposing new navigation suggestions, while we await the results of the third. Our developers have successfully created a custom script to migrate a website built with highly customized vendor code. We have completed our initial round of website reviews, and the developers have made updates to the site based on this feedback. The client engagement agreement has been signed.
Costs incurred with external vendor:
- FY20 = $17,055
- FY21 = $14,023
- FY22 = $24,500
- FY23 = $23,580
- FY24 = $3,060
College of Law
Scope: Migration from an outdated WordPress site to IL Theme for WordPress instance on cPanel.
Status: The content has been migrated. We have been working with the client to add functionality, solidify information architecture, and ensure content displays correctly. The client engagement has been signed. We are also preparing the client team for WordPress training.
Law course page displays have been implemented, and additional design refinements are underway. Faculty profile displays are also being redesigned to be more Illinois Theme compliant.
Costs incurred from external vendor:
- Website = $18,800
- User testing = $3,200
- Identity Guide = $880
- Webtools Skins = $2,400
- Analytics Consultation = no more than $800
Web CoE in partnership with WIGG
- WordPress team: Getting IL WordPress theme current with components
- .NET team: Creating components (platform agnostic) for campuswide use
- Steering committee: Component request form, WIGG website updates
- Component team: Adding focus states and hover states to the toolkit, beginning work on directory components
- Design team: News layouts, calendar CSS, program and course finders