If you redesign it, they will come…

By Lisa A. Patterson

This time of year is always exciting as fall approaches and with it the advent of a new academic year. And as always, there are a slew of great things to report on at UNC Charlotte – but this blog entry is dedicated to one project that particularly tickles my cockles: the launch of the re-designed University Web site.

If you’ve visited www.uncc.edu in the past (and I’m guessing you have, seeing as how you subscribe to this blog), you know that the Web site in its current form is, well, difficult to navigate (to put it mildly). I say this with affection – universities were early and enthusiastic adopters of all things Internet, but early adoption of a rapidly changing technology can sometimes come back to bite you. So, as UNC Charlotte forged ahead with its Stake Your Claim branding initiative, the decision to revamp the University’s Web site was a no-brainer.

This much-needed, oft discussed project has come to fruition after more than 18 months of planning and collaboration led by the Marketing Services Department in the Division of University Relations and Community Affairs…That’s a lot of planning and collaboration. The home page and upper tier pages were the first to be re-designed, and the rest of the site’s pages will follow through a planned migration process. Launch of the new site will take place August 3, so be sure to check it out (same url – www.uncc.edu).

I’ve seen a preview of the site – I won’t spoil it for you, but I guarantee you’ll find it much easier to navigate. And if you have an inclination to learn more about the process behind the final, glorious product, you can go to http://webredesign.uncc.edu

Lisa Patterson is -- surprise -- senior writer in the Office of Public Relations