The Student Government is upgrading its website to make it more user-friendly and to create more visual unity between SG departments.
This is the second time the website has been redesigned in a little over a year.
The new site features a different template and navigation system. Current SG Secretary Kevin Sutherland started redesigning the website spring semester with former Secretary Kent Hiebel. Sutherland was then working as deputy director of Web design.
The changes aim to make it easier for users to navigate the content of SG’s three branches, four executive cabinets and dozens of departments, as well as hundreds of events, services and advocacy and outreach initiatives, according to Hiebel.
SG unifies department logos
The different SG departments will have uniform logos, according to Sutherland. Design Director Ashley Persie and Sutherland started designing some of the department logos over the summer.
The uniform look of the new logos and site are part of a push started by Hiebel to emphasis the connection between Student Government and its departments.
“Some people don’t realize what departments are in SG,” Sutherland said. “People know about the Kennedy Political Union, but they don’t know they are part of SG.”
Final site and logos to be completed this fall
Though Sutherland started working on the site redesign last semester, it is still a work in progress. The final site and logos should be completed during fall semester, he said.
“It’s a bigger task than I expected,” Sutherland said. “You’re really managing 15 to 20 sites.”
Second AUSG.org redo in two years
Hiebel worked with former IT Director Douglas Bell on a redesign last year. Bell helped to move the site from SG’s past content management system to Wordpress.
However, Sutherland said not enough time has been devoted to the site in the past.
“We’re finally giving it enough attention,” Sutherland said.
In the past, each department was responsible for updating their content on the SG website. Sutherland hopes to have more centralized content by giving this responsibility to someone within his Cabinet.
“The departments have been really supportive,” Sutherland said. “It makes it easier for people.”
ascalamogna@theeagleonline.com
