Features: Nov. 26, 2001

New Web Site Look Tailored to Audiences

Last week Marketing and Media Relations (M&MR) launched a new design for Rensselaer's homepage. The design, created in collaboration with other offices and stakeholders on campus, facilitates navigation and enhances interactivity and usability.

The redesigned and redefined site furthers the Rensselaer Plan's charge to "create a cohesive, timely, and user-savvy Web presence," said Marketing Director Tom Torello.

The homepage and many of Rensselaer's top-level "gateway" pages are tailored to specific audiences: future students, alumni and friends, campus visitors, research partners and campus community (RPInfo will remain the main entrance for the campus community). By offering immediate access to pertinent information, the new structure answers one of the most frequent concerns of university Web users.

The main navigational element has been revised to include links to the Libraries and Campus Tour sites, in addition to the traditional links to RPInfo, Search, Contact RPI, Research, Academics, and Rensselaer News.

"The template is derived from the Rensselaer graphic standards, updated and expanded to fit the special needs of Web media," said M&MR Web Producer Steven Morris, the designer of the new site. "The new look is modern, interactive, and contemporary, reflecting the far-flung interests and diverse population of Rensselaer," he continued.

Rensselaer's alumni Web site, AlumServ also
was redesigned to reflect the new layout.

The next phase of the implementation will be the documentation and packaging for a set of user-friendly templates for the campus to use.