20 years of web design project management experience distilled in 21 tips in 45 minutes, with time for questions! Web content strategy. Team and stakeholder responsibilities. The purposes of design.

1. 21
HIGHER ED
WEB BEST PRACTICES

2. ABOUT YOU.
JasonOnDesign.com

3. YOUR SUPERPOWER
JasonOnDesign.com
Communicator
Programmer
Designer
Other

4. REPRESENTING?
Campus Web Team
High Traffic Page
Department
Vendor
JasonOnDesign.com

5. ABOUT ME.
JasonOnDesign.com

6. BRANDING
DESIGN
USABILITY
TECHNOLOGY

7. JasonOnDesign.com
MY DREAM.

8. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 1
USE DRUPAL OR
WORDPRESS.

9. TECHNOLOGY IS NOT
JasonOnDesign.com
THE ISSUE.

10. JasonOnDesign.com

12. TIP 2 SET GOALS.
JasonOnDesign.com

13. FEATURES AREN’T GOALS.
JasonOnDesign.com

14. In the past [time frame]
the [process name]
has not been[business/customer issue]
resulting in [very bad measurable thing].
JasonOnDesign.com

15. In the past two years
the number of site visits
has not been falling
resulting in 20% less applicants.
JasonOnDesign.com

16. TIP 3 STEAL.
JasonOnDesign.com

17. Good artists copy, great artists steal.
- Pablo Picasso

18. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 4 TEST.

19. DON’T GUESS - TEST
WhichTestWon.com
JasonOnDesign.com

22. AND THE WINNER IS
no icons = 11% more conversions
JasonOnDesign.com

24. source: whichtestwon.com
40% more “add to cart” clicks

26. +200% click-throughs
+ 300% revenue
11% more conversions

27. TIP 5 READ.
JasonOnDesign.com

29. TIP 6 AVOID BULLSHIT.
Your content mantra.
JasonOnDesign.com

30. JasonOnDesign.com

31. PHOTO BY BARRY YANOWITZ VIA FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS.

32. TIP 7 TRUST STUDENTS.
JasonOnDesign.com

33. JasonOnDesign.com

34. TIP 8 EMBRACE THE BAD.
JasonOnDesign.com

35. Bad reviews caused sales to rise, by
JasonOnDesign.com
an average of 45%.

36. TIP 9 BUILD A TEAM.
JasonOnDesign.com

37. RIGHT PEOPLE.
RIGHT QUESTIONS.
RIGHT TIME.
JasonOnDesign.com

38. Stakeholder - Committed. (<2h)
Visionaries - True North. (2-4h)
Core Web Team - Everything. (???)
Visual Identity Team - Cohesion. (<5h)
Communicators - Content. Messaging. (???)
Perspective - (<2h)
JasonOnDesign.com
RIGHT TEAM

39. TIP 10 BE INCLUSIVE.
JasonOnDesign.com
(internally)

40. BE TRANSPARENT.
JasonOnDesign.com

41. TIP 11 DON’T SETTLE.
JasonOnDesign.com

42. JasonOnDesign.com
MEH...

43. THIS IS THE
STAKEHOLDER’S
JasonOnDesign.com
FIRST JOB

44. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 12
WORKING MEETINGS ONLY.

45. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

46. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

47. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

48. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

49. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

50. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

51. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

52. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

53. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

54. © 2011 Steve Krug
© 2001 Steve Krug

55. JasonOnDesign.com
ESCAPE PHRASES
• Let’s do a quick prototype.
• What’s the worse that would happen?
• I’ll add this to our next test.
• Let’s ship with it and watch analytics.

56. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 13
KNOW WHY USERS ARE ON
A GIVEN PAGE.

57. JasonOnDesign.com
PORTAL
OR
DESTINATION

58. PORTAL DESTINATION
JasonOnDesign.com
Get off
Short
Navigation
Branding
Get to
Long is OK
Next Steps
Information

59. A HOME PAGE IS A
PORTAL PAGE.
JasonOnDesign.com

60. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 14
WRITE A
“SHITTY FIRST DRAFT”.

61. SOURCE: Kevan Lee
JasonOnDesign.com

62. Enter content the first day of the project.
JasonOnDesign.com

63. FAIL EARLY.
FAIL OFTEN.
JasonOnDesign.com

64. TIP 15 USE YOUR OLD SITE!
JasonOnDesign.com

65. JasonOnDesign.com

66. IT SUCKS ANYWAY!
JasonOnDesign.com

67. TIP 16 TEST EVERYTHING.
JasonOnDesign.com

68. JasonOnDesign.com
Join the Revolution.

69. JasonOnDesign.com

70. Message # Negatives # Positives
Make a difference and do what you love 1 17
Build your own future. 3 13
Expand your world. 3 13
Explore our nationally acclaimed programs 3 13
Land a solid job. Do what you love. Make a difference. 2 11
Join the revolution! 6 12
Your employability, your passion, your world. 3 9
100% of our grads get hired in their field, right out of college 3 9
There’s more demand for our grads than we have grads 7 9
The degree that will launch your career 5 7
We have a world to offer 7 7
Land a high paying gig straight out of college 9 4
JasonOnDesign.com

71. JasonOnDesign.com

72. TIP 17
ABOUT US GOOD DESIGN IS DESIGN WITH INTENT

73. KNOW. FEEL. DO.

74. TIP 18 ONE MONTH.
JasonOnDesign.com

75. JasonOnDesign.com
We have a new product.
I’m retiring.
I don’t like yellow.
I changed my mind.
I’m so sick
of this project.

76. TIP 19 BRAND MATTERS.
JasonOnDesign.com

77. JasonOnDesign.com
PAY ATTENTION
• Which is targeted to women?
• Which is for doctors only?
• Which is the most popular?
• Which is made by a $2b company?
• Which is homegrown?

78. A

79. B

80. C

81. D

82. E

83. F

84. G

85. WHO HAS A GUESS?
• Which is targeted to women?
• Which is for doctors only?
• Which is the most popular?
• Which is made by a $2b company?
• Which is homegrown?
JasonOnDesign.com

86. 12 JUDGEMENT CALLS
JasonOnDesign.com
In 7 seconds:
• Money
• Education
• Interesting
• Etc.

87. JasonOnDesign.com
TIP 20 SPEED UP!

88. TIP 21 BELIEVE.
JasonOnDesign.com

89. JasonOnDesign.com
SOURCE: KarenSLewis - Creative Commons.

90. GravitySwitch.com
JasonOnDesign.com
Thank You