New features, accessibility were added to the site
On Friday before Spring Break, Del Mar’s website got a big update. The fresh look was designed specifically for the students, who often visit the site on their phones.
“This is the first time we’ve had an actual responsive mobile version. That’s one of the biggest things for the students. We want to put the Web information right in their hands,” said Claudia Jackson, executive director of community and legislative relations.
The new simple design is easier to read and easier to navigate. Smaller bits of clear information take the place of long, often outdated articles. Now the fresh site has photos and videos throughout to enhance the user experience.
The toolbar at the top of your page is “sticky,” following your phone or computer screen while you scroll and navigate the site, so you always have quick access to the most useful links, such as Canvas, WebDMC, email and a search bar. The dropdown menu at the top left called the “Viking Toolbox” features a list of frequently used links such as the Catalog, Campus Maps, Directory and Help Desk.
To make information easily accessible, the main navigation bar on the home page lists several user-specific categories, including new students, information on applying and financial aid, and current students.
The Degrees & Programs section adds several resources for students. Select one of the many degree plans that are all neatly categorized to find updated information about your major. From there, you will find a link to a degree plan showing all class requirements, and the recommended order and semester one should take them in. Hover over or select a specific class for a description.
“We think this is a mass improvement,” Jackson said. “The three premises of rebuilding our website were to be completely student focused, to be mobile focused and mobile friendly. The third thing we wanted to do is to improve on the website’s ADA compliance.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act says that just like any taxing entity, Del Mar has to make sure all of its information is available to people with disabilities.
“If you’re visually impaired, all the information on a website would have to go through some sort of reader, and we have to make sure that text is readable. Another thing is all the videos on the site are close-captioned for the hearing impaired,” Jackson said.
Each department has also been assigned a web content manager, Jackson said, which should help keep the site updated more frequently.
Check out www.delmar.edu to see all the changes.
