What you should know before you start developing official web sites
at EMU
The basics
| Deans and department heads
| Anyone developing EMU web sites
| Experienced web developers
| Departments without a web developer
| Talk to us about your plans
The basics: collaboration,
strategy, professionalism
As a strategic initiative at Eastern Michigan University,
web development is directed, but decentralized.
The web team recognizes the importance of welcoming the creative
energies of many developers in this common purpose. This decentralized
but collaborative approach will continue as we pursue a strategic
and professional environment for web development. While we are working
toward a more cohesive and user-centered EMU web presence, it is
important that our web developers be able to accommodate the standards
and protocols necessary to achieve this cohesion.
Deans, department heads, and area leaders:
For the above reasons,
we ask that department heads, deans and area
leaders make careful selections when charging
staff or faculty with the responsibility
for official web development at EMU. Professional
web development is a growing field of endeavor
that requires time, significant expertise
in various areas, and proper tools. It requires
an understanding of the principles
of design, navigation, site architecture
and usability, and it requires a strong facility
with relevant technologies. As in
any professional field, even the best tools
(and even the University templates) are no
substitute for this knowledge.
Anyone developing a web site at EMU:
If you are not a professional
web developer and are undertaking significant
web projects for EMU, we strongly recommend
that you hire
one of our pre-qualified vendors to work
on your site, unless you already possess
professional-caliber web development skills.
Small web projects may not require this level
of skill, but professional web development
on a large scale requires robust knowledge
of the principles of design, navigation,
site architecture and usability, and it requires
a strong facility with relevant technologies.
If you are unsure of
your web development abilities or have limited
experience, the ICT department provides training
in certain web-related areas. Please
note that this training is targeted toward
small-to-medium-scale web projects, and
it does require a significant investment
of time. Additional (fee-based) training
is available elsewhere in the local area.
Contact the director of Web Communications
for recommendations.
If you are working on official sites at EMU,
this checklist
may be of help in working through your project.
If you are confident
in your skills, have reviewed this Standards
Guide, and are ready get started developing
an EMU web page,
review the Template
Standards section of this web site,
and pick up the templates at our EMU
Templates site.
Experienced web developers:
If you already have extensive web development
experience and you need the core information about EMU's new standards
and guidelines, the following sections of this site are the most
critical for you:
Experienced developers may also wish to review
the General Site Standards section,
the Site Organization and Structure
section, and the Usability and Accessibility
section to ensure that your sites have taken these factors into
consideration.
The
EMU templates are on our staging server.
If your department does not have access to a
web developer:
If your department does not have experienced
web developers available, qualified vendors are available to undertake
these projects. There are also opportunities for qualified staff,
faculty and students throughout the University to provide web development
services. More information is available on the Getting
Help section of this site.
Talk to us before you start.
When you are beginning an official
EMU web development project, we ask that you start by contacting
the director of Web Communications
for consultation on the scope, process and plan for your work.
Questions about this site should be referred to the director
of Web Communications.
Standards Guide Home Page
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