The Open University Faculty of Mathematics and Computing identified that their existing website no longer met the requirements of the department in terms of design, usability and compatibility with SENDA guidelines and was not perceived as an effective marketing tool.
Online Solutions therefore, began a preliminary Analysis phase and Information Architecture (IA) identifying an appropriate structure for the new site. Having established the various content types, associated meta data and required sections, a set of online wireframes were produced giving project board members the ability to click through the proposed website structure and refine, where necessary, prior to build.
After creating and applying the design, developers at Online Solutions worked in collaboration with IT staff within the faculty to create an underlying Content Management System (CMS) to support the dynamic nature of the information to be incorporated in each of the section. Additionally, various import routines were developed to continually maintain content that is currently stored in other systems throughout the Open University thereby eliminating duplication of information within different systems.
From detailed course and qualification descriptions to job opportunities and research programmes the new faculty website offers a huge range of information for both potential and current students.