SDSU Homepage Redesign

The virtual front door to San Diego State University is getting a major makeover.

This Friday, Aug. 1, the university will unveil its newly designed website, showcasing key initiatives and sharing the unique “Aztec Experience.”

The web address will be the same — www.sdsu.edu — but the look and feel will be more bold and modern than the current site, which launched in August 2010.

The redesign features a full cosmetic overhaul with several functionality improvements to make the user experience better. The site is intended to express the university brand by showcasing key initiatives, such as research, entrepreneurship and international programs. While the navigation has moved to the top of the page to make finding resources as easy as possible.

“We’ve been looking at the metrics of our current homepage and realized it isn’t being used exactly the way we imagined it would be,” said Greg Block, SDSU’s chief communications officer. “So we’ve designed the new site the way we believe users want to engage with it. Getting people where they need to go through the primary navigation is the number one concern for this website, while still showcasing what the SDSU brand is all about.”

The site is built using responsive design, which adjusts the layout and design based on the device — desktop, tablet or smart phone – on which it is being viewed. It also features a Google language appliance that allows users to translate the site to different languages.

The SDSU Department of Marketing and Communications managed the project, led by Jeff Ernst, senior graphic designer and Giselle Domdom, director of digital media.

The homepage is delivered through a robust content management system developed by DreamBox Creations, the Southern California-based full-service digital agency that built and deployed the 2010 homepage and SDSU NewsCenter.

The content management system, and consequently the new website, are built to comply with the CSU’s most current web accessibility standards.