There are six areas we focused on as part of the Campbell.edu redesign in order to improve the user experience, increase conversions, and better deliver the Campbell story:
- Better usability to make navigation more intuitive and information easier to find
- Improved accessibility so people with disabilities can navigate the website
- Search Engine Optimization to improve the traffic we get through search engines like Google and to better direct visitors to the information they’re looking for
- Streamlined navigation to provide a cleaner looks, to emphasize calls to action, and to direct users to a desired destination
- Mobile-first approach to ensure every page is responsive and can be viewed and accessed on smartphones and tablets
- Marketing-driven content that is more visual and skimmable and that emphasizes Campbell’s strengths, achievements, and competitive advantage
Required Elements
Header
To remain consistent, all official Campbell University websites must have one of two headers: the top-level header or the local header.
Top Level Header
Utility Bar
The utility bar is the orange bar across the top of the page and is a global element across all campbell.edu sites. The utility bar includes Quick Links, Login, and global search.
Quick Links
The Quick Links section provides easy access to Bookstore, Calendar, Contact, Directory, Libraries, Magazine, Maps and News.
Login
The Login section provides links to access Blackboard, E-Accounts, Faculty & Staff Email, MyCU, Student Email and WebAccess.
Search
Clicking the Search icon opens the search bar where the user can perform a global site search.
Campbell Icon & Wordmark
The Campbell Icon & Wordmark are consistently visible in the top left of the header and must link to www.campbell.edu.
Gateways
Because the website is primarily focused on prospective students, the gateways were designed for our other important audiences: Students (primarily current students), Faculty & Staff, Parents & Visitors, and Alumni. These links direct users to pages with information of interest to each persona. These links are only available in the top-level header.
Primary & Secondary Navigation
Breadcrumbs
Local Header
The local header shares the same global utility bar as well as the icon and wordmark. Again, the icon and wordmark in the top left corner must always link back to the main site. The official school/college name appears directly to the right of the wordmark and links to home page of the local site.
The navigation is repositioned to provide space for long school/college titles. The secondary navigation functions and looks the same as the top-level header.
Footer
Local Footer
The local footer is available to schools, colleges and departments. This footer includes address, phone, email and social media information as well as relevant links.
Global Footer
To remain consistent, all official Campbell University websites include the global footer.
Page Elements
Page Title
The page title describes the page content and must be an <h1>. For accessibility and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), there must be only one <h1> per page.
Hero
The hero is the large image area at the top of a landing page. The hero must include the page title; an overview description is optional. The hero area is not intended for news, promotions, or advertising.
Content Area
The content area is the region between the header and footer of the page. With the exception of landing pages, web contributors may edit content in this area.
Prohibited Content Topics
- Advertising non-university entities, businesses, or products.
- Content that implies institutional endorsement of a project or service.
- Content that is inconsistent with the University’s mission.
- Links to external sites that are inconsistent with the University’s mission.
Images & Graphics
Images must have meaningful alt text that describes the content of the image. Follow university guidelines for photography.
For mobile and accessibility reasons, embedded text should be avoided in images.
Video & Audio
Videos uploaded to the university website or University social media platforms must follow University brand guidelines and be properly formatted. In order to meet federal accessibility compliance, videos should always include captions and transcriptions. Videos that do not adhere to these policies are subject to removal.
Landing Pages
Landing pages are used as a marketing tool and are maintained by University Communications & Marketing (UCOMM). UCOMM will make modifications based on marketing needs, analytics discovery, or consultation with interested parties.
If you wish to discuss modifications to your landing pages, please contact Web Communications.