Program webpage project

Redesigning our program webpages

Project overview

The first project by the Office of Communications and Marketing, following the announcement of the centralization of department marketers will be to update all program area/department web pages. This will allow us to:

• More consistently present our academic programs, beginning with professional programs, to prospective students via redesigned program web pages.

• Better capture data by utilizing Slate forms consistently across program web pages, replacing Cognito or other forms as needed.

Learn more about the wRIP Team and why we are taking on this project as well as the expectations for the OCM and Digital teams, academic unit communicators, and faculty and program staff in the Programmatic Website Redesign Inclusive Project (wRIP) Plan. 

Project timeline and status

Phase I (October 2025 - December 2026)

1. Update all priority and professional program web pages with new templates and content by December 2025.

2. Update all graduate and undergraduate program web pages with new templates and content by May 2026.

3. Implement Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Slate for all graduate and professional programs by December 2026.

Track the progress of the programmatic website redesign. This Gantt chart is managed in the Office of Communications and Marketing's  Wrike project management system and provides a real-time view of project milestones and deadlines for all stakeholders.

Process for unit marketers

Follow this process process and get the resources you need to update your unit's program pages to be more engaging, informative, and optimized for our audiences.

1. Track your progress. Keep  the status of this work up-to-date in Wrike.

   • This also helps keep our Gantt chart updated and partners apprised of the work.

   •  In Wrike, each task will have a status assigned to it: Not started, ready for review, in internal review, ready for QA, in QA, closed, on hold, or cancelled.

   • Project updates will be shared during OCM 1:1s, weekly during OCM team stand-ups, and monthly in ALT meetings.

2. Draft content. Use the Program Worksheet Template, located in the (CEHD OCM + Digital > Program Page Web Updates Google Drive folder) to write and structure your page content. We will provide SEO keywords to help you optimize your text.

3. Save your draft. Place your completed program worksheet in your unit's designated folder in the shared Google Drive.

4. Share your content with Sarah Jergenson. She will provide initial feedback on messaging.

5. Build the page. Use the program helpers in the Drupal with Aquia Site Studio platform to build your webpage. These are pre-formatted components designed for consistency and ease of use.

   • Visit the site at: https://uofmncehdprod.prod.acquia-sites.com/ (user = umn and password = umn)

   • Review the Academic Program Helpers tutorial page.

6. Share your content with Viet Do, UI/UX designer, Sarah Jergenson, and Stacy Doepner-Hove. Sarah and Viet will complete quality assurance for formatting and design to ensure there is a consistent user experience that aligns with the U of M and CEHD brand. Stacy will review messaging.

7. Share with faculty and program staff. Faculty and program staff will have two weeks to review the draft webpage and provide feedback via suggestions in the Program Worksheet Google Document.

   • Note: To be able to view the webpage as a draft they will need View Only access to your site in Site Studio.

     1. Submit a web update request to Wrike with the names of anyone who needs to be added to your site.

     2. Once they have access, they will log in to your  site (e.g., cehd.umn.edu/user/login) using their their University ID.

     3. After they are logged in, they can view the draft page link.

   • Feedback should be related directly to the content. Input on templates and design will be taken into consideration. However, we are striving for consistent experiences across our program pages that align with the CEHD and University brand.

   • Any disputes about content or the templates should be shared with Sarah Jergenson who will elevate them to Ryan Warren as needed.

8. Publish. Ensure that all related summaries, pointing to the page across your site are updated.

9. Complete. Mark the webpage task as "Closed" in Wrike.