I have been working for the University since 2005. Prior to that I was a research scientist at Cambridge University studying different biological processes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Academia wasn't for me, even though scanning strawberries and melons was fascinating! Now I oversee the work of the team and provide support where it is needed, particularly on the web development side of things. I am also an alum of the University, where I studied plant biology.
The following post is based on a plenary talk and masterclass given at the 2016 Institutional Web Management Workshop (IWMW) by Martin Hawksey. A video of the plenary talk is available and is well worth watching. There…
In June 2016 we launched a new homepage that was more focused on external visitors. It introduced the idea of news and events being highlighted on a limited number of ’tiles’. The aim was to selectively promote…
The ‘ask a question’ web page was launched on 19 January 2015. It allows visitors to find answers to questions that exist in the ‘Student Information Desk (SID)’ system. Users can either try and search for an answer or…
One project that we are currently preparing (called DC1004 WordPress multisite) will involve outsourcing our WordPress multisite installation. This post explains why. At the University we use TerminalFour Site Manager…
2015 was a very eventful year for the digital communications team. Here are some of our highlights. Digital transformation In February, Paul Boag visited St Andrews to give a lecture on digital change. We then worked…
On 23 October 2015, Which? published a preliminary report on information provided on 50 university websites for prospective psychology students. They assessed whether they provided information such as: entry…
On Wednesday 16 September, the Digital Communications Portfolio Board approved a business case for redevelopment of the external University website. In essence, what we will be creating is a digital prospectus where…
A prototype for the new University home page has been available since March this year. Finally it is time to make it live! From Monday, the prototype home page will become the home page for the whole University…
The use of mobile devices to access the University of St Andrews website has increased drammaticaly over the past few years. Mobile devices now account for 20% of visitor traffic. That’s 1,200,000 visits in 2013 – a…