Finally, the CMS is migrated to the latest version of Plone and on to new hardware. The actual transition happened two weeks ago Friday but it’s been several days of testing. Anyone visiting the site should notice a huge speed improvement and a generally large increase in reliability.

In an earlier post (before launch) we mentioned that the popular MyUW link was in three places and pointed them out. But some site visitors said they still couldn’t find it and asked for it to be in the audience-based “dropdown” menus for students and faculty/staff. OK, we added it. Can you find it now? For good measure, we also added a link to Alpine!

Wondering where the My UW link will be on the new home page? Check this out!…

You’ll want to click on this image (twice) to see two basic navigation scenarios. The “thin strip” at the top has links to some of our most popular destinations and/or features: UW Home | Directories | Calendar | Maps | My UW

We are introducing new audience-focused navigation toward the top of the page, calling out some of the most used and/or popular links. This navigation will initially appear on just the UW’s top-level pages that are part of Phase 1 of the redesign project.

In addition to the redesigned home page, we will be introducing five new “portal” pages that cast a spotlight on Education, Sustainability, Healthy Lives, Global Citizens and Innovation. They will showcase ways in which the UW excels in these areas. The content will refresh over time, and UW communicators across campus will help select what is showcased.

This screenshot of the new home page banner shows a bold new W “patch” hanging off of a light tan “band” that features links to some of the most popular destinations on the UW Web. If you’re a UW designer, you can learn more about the new brand guidelines on our secure Web page