I have decided to change the web pages that I want to revise for my final project. I will still work on the homepage of the Writing Studies website. However, instead of focusing on the "Graduate" pages, I will redesign the "Undergraduate" pages.
As I look at the structure of this website, I've realized that it is organized by category. The names of the links on the left-hand column navigation reveal the main sections of the website:
ABOUT
COURSES
GRADUATE
UNDERGRADUATE
NEWS & EVENTS
PEOPLE
MAKE A GIFT
INTRANET
There is a section for Graduate, and Undergraduate programs. These sections are then also divided into sub-categories:
ABOUT
COURSES
GRADUATE
UNDERGRADUATE
o Major
o Minor
o Admission
o Scholarships
o Internships
o Learning Abroad
o Handbook
o Careers
NEWS & EVENTS
PEOPLE
MAKE A GIFT
INTRANET
To get to specific information on the site, it takes about an average of 3 clicks. For instance, if students wanted to know the requirements for an undergraduate degree, they would click on the Undergraduate link on the homepage, then click on "Major", and then on the "Requirements Checklist".
Besides being organized categorically, I also think the site is structured as a more complex "tree" hierarchy than a simple hub-and-spoke/"star" structure (See Yale Web Style Guide). The site does not simply have menus and sub-menus. The sub menus also have menus within themselves.
In addition to the left-hand column navigation, the site also features a breadcrumb trail navigation. This navigation does not appear on the homepage and it is located above the page title, but below the header/banner.
Another option of structuring this site is to relocate the main links (ABOUT, COURSES, GRADUATE, etc. ) right where the breadcrumb trail navigation is currently located. This would serve as the global navigation for the website. On the left-hand column, the sub links (UNDERGRADUATE: Major, Minor, Admissions, etc.) would end up changing as users switch from one main link to another. Then, that navigation menu would end up being the local navigation for the site.
Hi Rajeev,
Yeah! I'm thrilled that you are taking a look at the undergraduate page of the WS web site. That makes a lot of sense. I think it is in worse shape than the graduate page, actually, so there is a lot of room for improvement. I agree with you that the undergraduate page makes use of the "tree" hierarchy / site map structure. But it could do it better. I think the lack of sub-menus is a problem. I am pretty sure that we just kept adding links rather than really making a structure with sub-links. I look forward to seeing your revision.