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Revised T4v8 training
As more staff members are gaining access to T4v8, I have noticed that undertaking training in T4v8 does not necessarily always equate to understanding or comprehending the training. Therefore, I have introduced a new assessment element to the T4v8 training to make sure staff have gained the required knowledge and skills to successfully be a…
30 May 2019Training
New School websites usability findings
Two weeks ago I conducted usability testing on the design for the new School websites on behalf of the Business Transformation Board who are running the Academic School Websites project. This project seeks to update and redesign the existing School websites using the digital pattern library (DPL). This post provides a summary of the test and…
23 May 2019Usability
Capitalising job titles: an update to University house style
For those familiar with the University house style, you will know that the digital communications team advises against the unnecessary use of capital letters on web pages. This includes the capitalisation of page titles, team names and job titles.
29 April 2019Content
Hero banner redesign
We have taken feedback into consideration and optimised the hero banner used for home pages. The current hero banner has been in effect since 2015 with minor adjustments to improve accessibility over time.
19 April 2019Design
How to add image files to T4v8
Image files are the most common items which are incorrectly added to the University’s content management system, TerminalFour (T4). This post provides a step-by-step guide to uploading image files correctly to T4v8. If you have questions about uploading media to T4v7, please contact the digital communications trainer, Jennifer Hamrick, by emailing digitalcommunications@st-andrews.ac.uk. 1. Prepare your…
11 April 2019Training
What is a JPEG file?
If you’ve ever moved photographs from a digital camera to a computer before, you’ll have encountered the JPEG (pronounced jay-peg) file format. These files will end with .jpg or .jpeg. What is a JPEG? A JPEG is a standardised lossy compression mechanism for digital images. Digital cameras compress raw photographs as JPEG images to make…
8 April 2019Technology
Redesign of University maps
The University maps page has been in existence since 2008. It uses code from Google to display locations on a map of St Andrews. The map has now been redesigned so that it uses the latest Google code and the digital pattern library to provide a better user experience on desktop and mobile devices.
28 March 2019Design
Student portal design sprint findings
As part of the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) project, the digital communications team hosted a design sprint with students to help redesign certain elements of the student portal. Currently, students access teaching and learning information across a variety of platforms including MySaint, ‘MMS’ (Module Management System) and Moodle. The TEL project seeks to unify the…
25 March 2019Design
Taking part in an Instagram takeover
The official University Instagram account has an audience of 20,000 followers, 44% of whom are aged between 18 to 24. Our audience demographic on Instagram is different from our audiences on Facebook and Twitter, and therefore our content is too.
15 March 2019Social Media
Common content mistakes – revisited
We’ve previously written about common content mistakes made on the web, but we thought it would be a good idea to provide an updated list. Below is a list of common mistakes our team sees coordinators make on a regular basis. This post isn’t intended to shame, but to cast some light on how you…
12 March 2019Content