Our new homepage

In 2009 The University of Auckland launched a major new website, creating a new design and information architecture (navigation) and moving to a new open-source content management system (CMS) called Jahia.

As a result of the re-launch traffic to our site has steadily increased: In 2010, the central website received 1.1 million visitors and supported more than 40 million webpage views. From July 2010 to July 2011 the University homepage alone had 16,281,927 unique views and in July 2011 the homepage alone had 1,317,200 unique page views.

Keen to keep the site as fresh and as easy to use as possible, we’ve continued to work behind the scenes to take the homepage to the next level. We’ve re-designed and upgraded it to maximise content without increasing page length and the need for scrolling. We’ve also given extra prominence to the high traffic area “Programmes and courses” and introduced striking new features. For example, the prominent "Welcome" module at the top uses a content slider with each tab able to take three rotating images at any one time. These have also been built to incorporate video and there is generally more scope for video throughout the website.

Further down the homepage, sections on "What's happening", "Upcoming events", "Commentary and interviews" and "Research and innovation" have been added while the "Events" section has been reorganised. The popular buttons promoting specific items are retained. 

Overall more content has been folded into limited space without visually cluttering the page and the homepage has been designed with viewers needs in mind enabling users to leave the page and return to their same settings.
 

Perspectives

We’ve also added a new section to our website called “Perspectives” which you can link directly to from the homepage.

“Perspectives” is a place to view videos, public lectures, interviews, podcasts and commentary pieces written by academics. The new section provides space to post video and audio demonstrating University life, the quality of our research and the views of our academics. We will also post opinion pieces written by University academics in the media.

We hope to add new content regularly and to represent the diverse range of subject areas, interests and activities that take place at the University.

Feedback
We would love to hear your feedback on our new homepage and/or the Perspectives site and please let us know if you have any problems with functionality.

Email website feedback to: feedback@auckland.ac.nz.

Please note that regular users should clear their browser cache if the new homepage has a strange appearance.