It’s the University website but not as you know it

Visitors to the University website will, from tomorrow, be greeted by a new look and feel as we launch the first phase of our website re-design.

The newly designed homepage and student recruitment areas of the site will be launched tomorrow with other pages, including About the University, Research and A-Z being revealed over the next 7 days.

The launch is the first visual outcome of the Web Transformation Project which was set up to enable the University to create and manage sector-leading web content in better and brighter ways than we do today.

The new pages see the introduction of a design that digitally represents Cardiff's ambition, confidence and reputation. It is also wider and more suited to the range of screens visitors use, with mobile phones, widescreen TVs and tablets being catered for early in 2013.

The website header includes a new icon which utilises the 'C' from the University logo, in a Cardiff-red block and represents Cardiff's digital identity online. The icon does not replace the University logo and is only for use on the University's website global header and, eventually, for our social networking icons, where use of the main logo would see it become illegible. The C icon should not be used in any other instances. Visual identity guidelines can be read online.

Scott Hill, Web Transformation Programme Manager said: "We're really excited to see the first stage of the new visual design come to life. A huge amount of work has already taken place to get us to this point and we look forward to sharing further steps of this exciting journey.

"Another important aspect of the design is that it is more in-line with the functional requirements of the intranet content and services that we'll be starting to develop next year.

"The most important aspect of the visual design is the flexibility it provides. Over the coming months we will be extending the new design: first to other top-level site areas and then further. This process will include consultation with schools and others to ensure that the particular character of school content can be preserved and enhanced."

The visual design is only part of the work of the Web Transformation Project. The project has already evaluated and acquired Squiz Matrix Web Content Management System, which will work alongside Wordpress to create an infrastructure for University web content and services in the future. The project is now moving onto the work of delivering pilot sites using Squiz Matrix.

Scott Hill added: "For anyone interested in following the progress of the project we've got a Connections community which we regularly update and use to gain feedback which you can find here."