Did you get a chance to check out UF new homepage yet (scroll down for the screenshots)?
It launched at the beginning of this week as announced in the news story published last week by the university.
According to the story, this isn’t a web redesign per se as the project only covered the visual aspect of the web presence:
“The new “skin†maintains all links previously found on the UF homepage and reflects the design UF&Shands originated for its Web presence, which is currently in transition.”
Reskinning a website before a redesign?
That’s kind of a novel (strange?) approach.
I sent a few questions to UF about this approach, but after the positive reply agreeing to provide answers via email I got last week, it looks like my request has fallen through the cracks (although I was offered by a PR agency to do a phone interview Monday, when I was in meetings all day – unfortunately)
On the web page designed to collect feedback about the new skin UF provides some context for this unusual “skin job” for higher ed:
“This project is essentially a new “skin†for UFL.EDU – meaning, the content will remain the same, but presented with more up-to-date styling. A complete redesign and reimplementation (e.g., design, content, and site architecture) is forthcoming. The long-term reimplementation of UF’s Web presence will be an approximately 18-month project”
I’m not sure this was the intended idea, but I’m wondering if this kind of approach might not actually be the way to make the bigger project a “content redesign” by putting out of the way the cosmetic aspect of the website.
But, I almost forgot: below are the before and after screenshots.
Definitely a huge improvement. Great work!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Have you used (or heard about) this kind of approach to web redesign projects before?
What do you think about it?
