Get Started

Preparation

1. Take Stock of Your Current Site

   This is a great opportunity to take a look at your current site. Is your navigation intuitive? Can users can easily find the information they're looking for? Do you really think users want to see a shot of your kid? (No matter how cute he/she is?) Try to get in the mind of your users—if possible, ask a person or two for their opinion about the ease or pain of finding info on your current site.

2. Separate Internal and External Information

   Information meant for internal audiences (e.g., colleagues) tends to clog up web sites. External users should be able to find the information they need quickly and intuitively without having to sort through information that isn’t related to their needs.

3. Determine Your Navigation

   This site design allows for 3 levels of nested navigation:

   1. Primary Navigation

      This is the first level of navigation, i.e., what users will see as soon as they arrive to your site.

   2. Secondary Navigation

      If a user clicks on a primary navigation link, you have the option of giving them more options through secondary navigation. For example: Under the current School of Medicine web site, At a Glance is an example of primary navigation. If you roll over At a Glance, you’ll find secondary navigation links to School Mission, School History, Alumni & Friends, Virtual Tours, and Campus Map.

   3. Tertiary Navigation

      If two levels aren’t enough, you can always add a third nested level! For example, if Virtual Tours were actually tours of both the School of Medicine and UNC Health Care facilities, we could add another level of navigation links that point directly to these two pages.

4. Determine Role Distribution

   There are three major editing roles in this system: Site Manager, Content Publisher, and Content Creator. Read the descriptions below and decide how you would like to distribute these roles in your organization.

   1. Site Manager

      Every site will need a site manager. This is a user who will serve as the web master for the entire site. Site managers can add/edit/delete all content (including folders), even content he/she does not own.

   2. Content Publisher

      Site publishers will be the most common role for users editing in this system. Publishers have the ability to create and edit content with the exception of folders. Publishers can delete content they own.

   3. Content Creator

      Content creators are users who can only create and edit content (with the exception of folders). Unlike publishers and managers, creators cannot publish content. Content must be passed to publisher or manager for publishing.

5. Determine Site Features

   1. Homepage Image ("Hero Graphic")
      

      In order to maintain the professional look and feel, OIS will work with your organization to determine the most appropriate picture/caption/design free of charge. Choose from the available images.  If you would like something specialized (e.g. a flash animation, reloading images, etc.) we would be happy to work with you on a charge basis.

   2. Two or Three-column Layout

      Each organization will be able to select either a two ir three column layout for their site. The first column, the navigation column, will always be present. The second column holds the main content of the site.  The third column (if needed) may hold features such as news, events, and/or your own special feature (e.g. grand rounds, announcements, etc.). OIS will work with you to determine the best layout for your needs.

   3. Homepage Features

      The second and third columns are customizable to fit homepage features such as news, events, announcements, etc. What would you like to highlight on your homepage? Would you rather keep it simple with a welcome message to users, or do you need to display upcoming events and special announcements?

Implementation

1. Contact OIS to Have Your Site Made

   Once you’ve taken a good look at your site and determined (or at least attempted to determine) your navigation, get in touch with the OIS’ Web Development Group. A department/center/program/office root site will be created by OIS. We’ll find where it belongs in the School of Medicine structure, place it there, and give you (the site manager) access.  To do this, we'll need to know:
   

   Your full name and SOMID. The name of your site (ex: "Office of Information Systems") The desired site location (ex: "http://www.med.unc.edu/ois"

   Your site will be void of content, until you...

2. Schedule an Appointment for Training

   Once the instance of your site has been created, OIS will contact you about training.  This one-on-one meeting will take about an hour. We'll show you how to start building your site, as well as how to delegate varying degrees of site maintenance to others (if you so choose). The site manager is responsible for assigning appropriate roles and permissions to others. After this initial meeting, OIS will be available to answer questions and assist you as needed.

[top]