CPLong.org
Briefly
I redesigned the website CPLong.org to structure content in a way that provided easier navigation through the site, particularly for first-time visitors.
Background
CPLong.org is the professional website of Christopher P. Long, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the Honors College at Michigan State University and Professor of Philosophy at Michigan State University. The content and copy on CPLong.org belongs solely to Dean Long. I maintain the site as an admin and designer.
I approached Dean Long with the idea of reorganizing the site after working on optimizing images in his blog catalog. My experience as a new admin for the site was that way-finding was a challenge and that simple changes like additional headings, sub-heads and new page-layouts would improve the overall experience of the site and make it easier to access specific articles and information that visitors might be seeking. Additionally, it was important to the Dean, as well as to me, to meet web content accessibility guidelines on the site.
Process
I researched websites of other university professors to see how they were presenting their work. We agreed to use visual elements that were consistent with Michigan State University branding guidelines. I designed new page layouts for the key content pages and then we worked together to flesh out the new navigation structure.
Tools
The site is built in WordPress. I’ve used Photoshop and Illustrator as needed for visual elements on the site. For example, I used Photoshop to compose feature graphics for several of the Dean’s initiatives.