Recently we launched a redesign of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) (opens new window) website. We took the site and built it from the ground up. Here is a little insight in to our process.

Information architecture

We worked directly with the CAPS staff to figure out not only what services the department offers but also how students use those services. It only took a few meetings and we were able to tailor the homepage to fit both the departmental and user's needs. We reduced the number of menu items to a short scannable list, placed the contact information in a right side column and explained what the department does for each audience in the center column.

Graphic design

The previous site had nice photos on it but they didn't represent the user base or connect with the users on a personal level. The department and us set out to change that by focusing the photos on people. The new design is based on our standard 960 pixel width standard template and grid structure. The grid structure allows us to make many sites with slightly different looks and keep the same feel between them. Each major area is separated visually with font sizes, background colors and font sizes. The new look allows the user to rest their eyes on the important areas of the site.

Other details

Lastly, every page on the site was looked at for accuracy and a central tone of voice. This was important because someone who may be looking for psychological services may be browsing for different types of help. If each area of the site sounds like someone different wrote the content it looks like the department doesn't have it's act together. We wanted to ensure the user reading the site feels confident about the department and their services. It might seem like something small but in the end users interact with the content of the site, that is the most important part.

View the new Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) website at: http://caps.wayne.edu/ (opens new window)