Despite concern from some students that the new Brown.edu home page sacrifices functionality for flair, administrators who directed its redesign maintain that it better represents the University.
"Our goal was to create something functional, as well as bold, new and different, that would reflect the spirit of the University and generate a sense of discovery about Brown," said Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Michael Chapman, who led the redesign.
The Office of Public Affairs and University Relations worked with Computing and Information Services and the New York branch of the design firm Pentagram to create the new Web site.
The new color and use of moving parts constitute the most noticeable changes to the site, which went live in late August. Once beige and red, the page is now a solid dark brown with a standard white font. When visitors scroll over a heading or subheading, the words slide to show a picture and short summary of the most relevant information for that heading. For example, when students scroll over "Academic Life," a picture of new Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron appears.
The headings' mobility has irked many students. "Clicking on what you want is like trying to pick up a pencil that someone is always moving away from you," said Michael Frederickson '07, a freelance web designer who worked for PAUR in the past. He also criticized the site's lack of immediate news about the University. "Why should you have to actively seek out information?" he asked. The old Web site had "all the most important information above the fold," he said, "though it wasn't as artistic as it could have been."
Other students also prefer accessibility to artistry in the University's home page. "I'm just confused by all the pictures that come up," said Jebediah Koogler '10. "(The page) is hard to navigate and seems like it could be simplified a lot."
Chapman disagreed. Not only is the page "functional and accessible," he said, but "we can present more information in a better way ... (because) the windows facilitate an element of curiosity and discovery." A more traditional, mobile Web site could not take full advantage of eye-catching photography, Chapman added, pointing to Dartmouth College's newly redesigned home page as an example. The site has only one photograph and no moving parts. By comparison, Brown.edu has 10 pictures, though visitors can only view one at a time.
Chapman and Director of Web Communications Scott Turner also took advantage of the reconstruction to start unifying departmental Web sites with a similar template designed by Pentagram. Sixty departments have adopted the template thus far, while others continue to request the change, Turner said.
The new home page, which Frederickson did not work on, was first scheduled to go live in March. "We were working on other aspects of the design then" but needed more time, Chapman said.
Chapman, who declined to disclose the cost of the redesign, emphasized the care that went into creating the site. Chapman, other administrators and CIS staff first considered several colors for the page, such as white, red, yellow, beige and tan. When Pentagram suggested brown, and the team settled on that, they looked at 40 shades of the color before settling on the final one, which "gives the page a rich, soft feel," Chapman said.
PAUR first decided to redesign the home page after receiving feedback about the old site from faculty, staff, students and alums, Chapman said. PAUR concluded from these responses that the University needed a new Web site and created committees to look at early prototypes. In February 2005, PAUR hired Pentagram to help the redesign process along.
Chapman said periodic redesign is typical for Internet pages. "Most Web sites undergo a graphic redesign every three to five years," he said. Though the previous version was tweaked occasionally, the last total overhaul took place in May 2004, he said. "As needs change, the Web site will, too," he added.
Visitors are now responding to the Web site via a feedback form linked from the home page, e-mail or phone calls. "Some love it, and some don't like it," Chapman said. "(Dislike) is an inherent part of making a change like this."
Despite the negative response on campus, Dean of Admission Jim Miller '73 said his office has received little feedback from prospective students and their parents, "but what we've gotten so far is positive. ... It takes a little getting used to for people who are used to the old one, but it's easier for people who haven't seen it."
But the home page is "a little counterintuitive and surprising," said prospective student Ryaan Ahmed, a senior at the Gilman School in Baltimore, Md. "It's a cool little effect, but it's kind of annoying." Still, "Brown's Web site is not going to make a difference in my decision" to apply to or attend the University, Ahmed said, adding that admission information was "more accessible" than at many other schools' Web sites.
Still, skepticism about the new Web site remains high. "I've heard more positive comments about the mini-feed on Facebook than I have about the new Web site," Frederickson said.
