College website earns peer recognition

July 26, 2024

The College of Human Medicine website was recognized by the MSU WebDev CAFE at its Summer Showcase earlier this week. The peer group of university web developers ranked the college’s new navigation menu as the most appealing in visual style, graphic design and layout.

The recognition highlights the Marketing & Communications Office’s work to improve user experience throughout the website. Previously, the navigation was a single menu with limited options. Now, the website has a robust drop-down menu with subcategories that allow the user to easily scan and find information quickly.

"We have a large and complex website. The upgraded navigation gives us greater flexibility to highlight information that might otherwise get buried,” said Steven Kaatz, web content administrator. “Our goal is to make information easy to find for all faculty, staff, students and other visitors.”

For example, information regarding student research was scattered in multiple places throughout the website and discovering this content was challenging. Now, student research has a more prominent spot in the new menu, making it accessible and showcasing the students’ research efforts. It gives students an opportunity to see their classmates’ publications. The new menu navigation also highlights major research efforts, strategic goals and important milestones, like the college’s 60th anniversary.

 

“With feedback from units and target audiences, we’ll continue refining the organization and content within the menu so that it best fits the needs of everyone visiting our website,” said Kaatz. “The experience on our website is vital to supporting the college mission and elevating our brand.”