The

System Academic Administration

Communications Team
Communications Team
Communications Team
 The team
• Kathy: Handles policy-driven and
administrative communications,
internally and externally

• Peggy: First contact for writing,

editing, communications planning

• Kris: First contact for Web-driven

communications strategy

• Amy: First contact for design

strategy,
design issues and support

• Gabe: First Contact for Web-based,

datadriven strategy
Communications
planning
planning
Peggy Rader
System Academic Administration
November 24, 2008
Communications
planning
• Work plan
• Needs assessment
• Forms of delivery
• Audience
• End goals for communication
• Budget
Day-to-day services

• Writing
• Editing
• Repurposing
• Proofreading
Internal communications

• Presenting the strategic face of SAA

• The Brief
• E-mails
External communications

• Interface with U relations

• Media Relations
• Community relations
• Legislative relations (local, state, federal)
 Process
Content
• Client provided (edited for clarity, University
style, audience appropriateness, etc.)

• Client requested (written, vetted by client,

proofread)

• Initial design/Web concept

• Final Proofread
• Client sign-off
• Production and distribution/site goes live
 Branding and
new University policy
new University policy
• All print and Web will bear the primary
branding of the University of
Minnesota, including the tag line,
“Driven to Discover”

• Any other logo or wordmark must be

secondary to U of M and D2D

• Maroon and gold must be part of

primary palette
University style

• Capitalization
• Serial commas
• Use of Dr.
• AP style
Measurement

• Return on investment
• Coherence of message
• Best practices for print
costs/distribution
 Web Design
& Online Collaboration
Kris Layon
System Academic Administration
November 24, 2008
 Web Services
• Design Consultation
★ U Relations template + standards
★ information architecture and
navigation
★ accessibility / usability
assessment
• Design Planning & Production
★ template design
★ page and site construction
 Collaboration
Services
• Content management (tools +
process)
• Calendaring
• Blogging
• Social networking
 Web Analytics

• Tracks user behavior on your site:

what they are doing, for how long,
and how often
• Can also tell us where they are and
what browsers they are using
• Reports can be emailed to you
automatically upon request
• Using this data can help you fine-
tune your web strategy
 Misc. Services
• Content editing, formatting, and
updating
• Online surveys & registration
• Video; photo slideshows; audio /
podcasting
• Data-driven web sites
★ Projects with social and dynamic
data
★ Gabe will focus on this after me
Tips & Suggestions
• Contact early; rush projects
invariably suffer
• Think about communications goals
1.Why do you need a web site?
• What do you want people to do
there?
• Are there specific goals or tasks?
• Is your web site part of a larger
communications strategy? (it should
be!)
The Database-driven
Web
Gabe Ormsby
System Academic Administration
November 24, 2008
 What is a database-
driven site?
Technical definition
• A site that pulls information from a database
to generate pages on demand, rather than
serving pre-existing documents.

• Not a particularly informative definition...

 What is a database-
driven site?
Practical characteristics
• Database holds information for and about
individual “pages.” (More appropriately,
“items of information.”)

• Templates pull in data and present it as fully-

formed web pages or other elements as
needed.

• Same data can be used multiple ways:

Menus, search listings, full pages, summaries.
 What is a database-
driven site?
Additional Capabilities
• Site can be designed to allow visitors to put
information into the database as well as to
retrieve it.

• Turns the web browser into a site writing,

editing, and organizing tool, not just a viewer.

• Reformat content and respond to activity: RSS

feeds, e-mail notifications about changes
 Content management
• The site itself becomes the tool for managing
site information.

• Content management powers can be narrowly

or widely distributed.

• Less need to craft each page.

• Example: North Star STEM
 Social publishing and
social networks
• Collaborative content creation and information
sharing.

• Site users are invited and expected to contribute.

• May center around particular subjects or self-
selecting communities.

• Continuum between “content-centered” and

“interaction-centered.”

• Plan time to manage and cultivate the site and

community.
Specialized applications
• Web-based tools designed around specific
personal or organizational needs.

• May include process logic (business logic) as

well as content management tools.

• Examples: Basecamp (project management),

Imagine Fund grant application process
What can we offer?
•Planning: What approaches serve
your communications needs and
strategies? What steps are involved,
what’s your time frame?
•Evaluation & comparison: What tools
best fit your strategies and budget?
What service model best fits?
•Implementation: In-house
development or finding internal or
outside services.
•Orientation & documentation:
Building is just the beginning.
 Design Process
getting your message noticed (in a good
way)
Amy Kalbrener
System Academic Administration
November 24, 2008
bookmarks

notecards
save-the-date cards
envelopes (including mail merge)
books
brochures
posters
 2008 Maroon Award Winner
invitations
 2007 Maroon Award Winner

program

invite

conference materials

nametag
workmarks & disclaimers
 Text
Text
Text

reducing your
environmental printed on
impact 100% recycled
paper
(at least concerning printed materials)
 We can do more
• Getting print quotes.
• Working with the printer from beginning
to end.

• Determining what will work best for your

needs.

• Creating E-mail and web formated pieces.

• Finding designers, photographers,
illustrators.

• Integrating web/print look.

 Plan ahead

• Who is the audience?

• What do you want to accomplish?
• What impression do you want to make?
• What is the budget?
• What is the deadline?
• Are there designs you like?
• Quantity you will need?
• Will there be web needs as well?
 Tips & Suggestions

• Contact me 1 to 2 months before the

deadline.

• Know the audience.

• Have text finalized before the design work
begins.
 Best practices
When you are the designer.

• Use no more than two fonts.

• Do not use bold, italics, or underlining more
than necessary.

• Do not use all caps more than necessary.

• Proof read.
• High quality photos.
• Simple fonts.
• Simple images.
• Simple.
 Examples
good/bad design
good/bad design

good
bad
 Examples
good/bad photos
good/bad photos

good bad
Get to know us better

• Mini focused design/web workshop.

• Web updating tutorials.
• Content Management training.
• Editing help.
 The team
• Kathy: Handles policy-driven
communications, internally and
externally

• Peggy: First contact for writing,

editing, communications planning

• Kris: First contact for Web-driven

communications strategy

• Amy: First contact for design

strategy, design issues and support

• Gabe: First Contact for Web-based,

datadriven strategy