Results

10 new sites launched in 2022 and so far in 2023, I have launched three. All launches were completed by the goal dates. You may visit each by clicking on the images below.

Select Before and After

Below is a sampling of a few pages from a few of the sites before and after the redesign. Each is a desktop view of the pages. Tablet and mobile views of the new pages are available by clicking on the image of the new site and using your browser’s inspection tool.

Kudos

Generous comments from department chairs:

“I worked with Jen Elswick on my department’s web redesign. Throughout the process I found Jen to be responsive to my questions and knowledgeable in her responses. During a chaotic first semester as chair her regular updates and questions greatly aided in keeping the web redesign project on task.”

“As the chair of the …Communication Committee I would like to thank-you on behalf of the entire Department again for your work on the… website. At first I was very intimidated by the overwhelming task to redo our website. However, after conversations with you and your organized approach with well laid out instructions made the process seamless. I and the rest of the department was so impressed with the final product. Not only did you and your team modernize our site and make it visually impressive but also incorporated the information that we needed. We were also very appreciative of the extra work that you did to use images that really represented the diversity in what we do and who we are.

Finally, it was a pleasure to work with you. You were always receptive to suggestions and really made an effort to work with our needs. I look forward to our continued partnership.”

“I have nothing but good things to say about Jen Elswick. She did a masterful job redesigning our department’s website. Jen was not only efficient and competent but also kind and patient working with …our prior administrative assistant… and me. Our website is in good hands!”

“Wow, once you get going, you are quick! Thank you so much for your hard work, creativity & most of all, patience.”

“Jen, I am just so impressed with your skill and especially your patience! You have really done an excellent job on this and it’s been a pleasure working with you all along the way!”

“This has been a huge lift and we owe Jen Elswick a gigantic THANK YOU for all of her hard work – she has truly been amazing to work with!”

Featured Skills

Process

Though the visual below describing the process indicates a linear progression from one stage to the next, there is fluidity in areas such as communication and documentation, which are priorities throughout. Furthermore, accessibility is a primary consideration and is assessed at each stage through multiple lenses.

• Research

  • Stakeholder interviews and surveys (needs analysis)
  • Analytics review
  • Competitive analyses of aspirational websites
  • User testing
• Strategy

  • Create scope, objectives and goals
  • Define audiences
  • Set timelines
• Communication

  • Develop internal communications strategies and processes
  • Create and disseminate stakeholder planning resources on wiki
• Content

  • Content and navigability audit of current sites
  • Information architecture and taxonomies established
  • Needs assessment for plugin development
  • Build media library
• Code

  • Design, develop and test plugin portfolio
  • Experiment with and learn new web framework
  • Create global styles
• Site Build Sprints

  • Sitemapping
  • Content migration
  • Write new copy (incl. metadata), revise and reduce old
  • Integrate media
  • Program redirects
• QA, Testing and Review

  • Viewport and cross-browser testing
  • Final accessibility check
  • Final department review
• Training

  • Website guide created
  • Content manager training
• Launch

  • Redirect testing
  • New links sent to critical VCU referrers
  • Ongoing QA and accessibility checks over time