Archive for January, 2010
Unless you've been really, really busy (and away from your computer, iPhone or iPad - wait that one isn't out there yet ;-), you've already heard about Yale's admissions video: "That's why I chose Yale," a 16-minute tongue-in-cheek musical, highly produced but all done by students or recent alums. Picked up by the New York Times, the Washington Post and other big names in media, the video has gone viral on YouTube (more than 300,000 views at the time of this writing) - and has resulted in many high praises as well as angry comments on different blogs and listservs. Here's the...
Read MoreYou might not know it, but I maintain a Google calendar of higher ed events and conferences where I keep track of anything interesting for web and marketing teams. It's a useful tool, but here's a selection of the most interesting ones (as well as a recap of upcoming HEE webinars ;-) including highlights deadlines for registration, call for proposals and other interesting information like registration fees. Web Redesign Bootcamp -3-Webinar Series - February 16-18, 2010 What you need to know before jumping into a redesign project This webinar series will feature 3 great higher ed web redesign experts: Stewart Foss (eduStyle), Ben Riseling...
Read MoreI've just finished watching the recording of a live webinar about the mobile website of North Carolina State University Libraries: Library in Your Pocket: Strategies and Techniques for Developing Successful Mobile Services. This free 60-minute webinar was presented by David Woodbury, Libraries Fellow and Jason Casden, Digital Technologies Development Librarian at North Carolina State University to an audience of about 400 Educause members on January 20, 2010. The session was really interesting as it provides a good overview of the project as well as a few great recommendations for going mobile, tips that can be applied to any mobile website (and not...
Read MoreMore than 500 redesigned were submitted to eduStyle as redesigns last year. That's what discovered Stewart Foss, the driving force behind this web design gallery dedicated to higher ed websites, as he was working on his next webinar about higher ed redesign trends scheduled on February 16, 2010 (Registration is open until February 8, but if you sign up before February 2nd for the Web Redesign Boot Camp - you'll get access to 4 extra webinars about web redesign at no extra cost). eduStyle || Labs - Top Sites by Votes With things changing so much - and fast -on the Web...
Read MoreI've mentioned this series back in December, but it's time for a reminder packaged with a great offer if you move quickly - as it will be available to a limited number of registered institutions. Web Redesign Boot Camp is a 3-webinar series scheduled on February 16, 17 and 18. It will provide you with some great insights, tips and lessons learned to help you (and your stakeholders) get ready for your next redesign. Featuring Stewart Foss from eduStyle, Chas Grundy from Notre Dame and Ben Riseling from Duke University, this series will give you what you need to know before jumping into...
Read MoreYou might have already read the excellent article including a short video interview about BU redesign on BU Today, but in case you haven't heard yet: there's a newly redesigned homepage in town. Here are the Before and After screenshots of BU Homepage (you can also look at the really great timeline included in BU Today piece): BEFORE AFTER Boston University I asked a few questions to Scott Dasse, Creative Director for New Media at Boston University, about this project, so you can learn even more about what went on behind the scenes. 1) How long did the whole process took and how did...
Read MoreAs you probably know, I'll be hosting "Start the (Word)Presses: How to create the online version of your print magazine or newsletter with WordPress" next Thursday (Jan 21st). I designed this 2-webinar series to help magazine editors get a good and practical understanding of how WordPress can help them create an easy-to-produce online version for their print publication. But, "why should magazine editors and writers use WordPress in the first place?" some of you might ask. Here are my top 4 reasons: WordPress is an online publishing platform Yes, this one sounds obvious. However, it's important to state that WordPress has been designed to publish...
Read MoreUniversity Affairs, Canada's publication about higher education (or post secondary education as it's said up North), unveiled earlier today its new web and magazine redesigns. If you want to learn more about this combined redesign (very nice integrated approach between print and web by the way), go read this blog post by Leo Charbonneau. And, here are the traditional before and after screenshots: BEFORE AFTER University Affairs - The most trusted news source for Canada's universities | University Affairs
Web professionals have always frown upon the use of PDF as the online version of a print newsletter or magazine. For some publication officers and college magazine editors, PDF is an easy way to provide the online version of their hard print work. Just take the final file from the designer (PDF has been used for proofs for many years), have it uploaded to the web server and... voila! According to The State of Print and Electronic Publications in Higher Ed, a survey completed by 198 professionals last year, PDF is the format of choice for the electronic version of the...
Read MoreIt looks like lip synching is the new black in college online videos (or is it that I really like lipdubs and feel compelled to post about any new one I stumbled upon?) I watch this very well produced online video after Dale Keiger, Associate editor of Johns Hopkins Magazine, posted about it on the CUE listserv. Published on YouTube on December 21st, 2009, it has more than 22,000 views at the time of this writing. It's a really great high-energy-feel-good video including an original soundtrack recorded by students and adapted from the song "I Thank You" written by Isaac Hayes and...
Read MoreI don't know about you, but I'm always excited by the world of possibilities a new year offers. So, let me wish you the best for 2010. I gotta feeling it's gonna be a good, good year (can't you see me singing to the famous tune of the Black Eyed Peas?) I've got a few resolutions (although I prefer to call them goals) put on paper. What about you? If you plan to add an online presence to your print magazine or newsletter (or even go totally digital), I'm sure you have already heard about the WordPress platform that powers some...
Read More
Lin Larson on 
Julie on 