{"id":2550,"date":"2016-07-29T11:46:10","date_gmt":"2016-07-29T10:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/webdev\/?p=2550"},"modified":"2016-09-02T11:45:08","modified_gmt":"2016-09-02T10:45:08","slug":"beta-website-feedback-july-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/webdev\/2016\/07\/29\/beta-website-feedback-july-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Beta website feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve been testing a beta design for our homepage<\/a> as a part of our new website project. Thank you for all the feedback we\u2019ve received so far.<\/p>\n

The beta concept is based on our discovery phase<\/a> and University Plan<\/a> which calls for increasing our international research profile and attracting quality students and staff based on user-centred content.<\/p>\n

Below is a summary of the positive and negative themes from the feedback.<\/p>\n

Positive feedback<\/h2>\n

Mobile friendly, user-focussed, less clutter, clean design, strong imagery<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are creating a mobile friendly design following our user experience and design principles<\/a>. Thinking about mobile first, enables us to simplify our content. This is a great way to prioritise the most important content for our users.<\/p>\n

Providing simple starting points based on unified user journeys<\/a> rather than departmental structures is an important concept. We have a short window of time in which we can attract users. Simplifying and prioritising content based on our users\u2019 needs makes it easier for them to choose and find content relevant to them.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve used bold, strong images and added interactivity into the design. This comes from our research which show that that prospective students expect engaging, rich content. We need to provide impact and it also aligns with the aesthetic of the Kent brand<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLarger font, better focus, less clutter, less things vying for my attention.. ooh, look.. it’s mobile-ready.. niceness.. love the feature image, but why is it of Italy? great work..\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cvideo backgrounds, scrolling over images. very smart\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cclean, logical design \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell-designed, engaging layout. Much better than other universities I have looked at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cmore welcoming to new visitors\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cmore aesthetically pleasing and user friendly\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cfull of images, colors, easy to navigate\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat design! Modern and simple to navigate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe student\/staff pop up at the top right hand side is better than the previous quick links.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Negative feedback<\/h2>\n

Need to scroll, large images, confusing labelling, poor quality imagery, colour, no quick links<\/strong><\/p>\n

The print concept of a \u201cfold\u201d<\/a> does not translate directly to the web. Different screen sizes and devices will present content differently and research shows that users scroll<\/a>, especially on mobile devices, however we need to show that content flows continuously and have noticed this isn\u2019t always clear on some screen resolutions.<\/p>\n