Coffee Break Recap – February 2020
Couldn’t make it out to our event? Feeling a little out of the loop?
We’ve got you covered.
Today, we’re recapping our second Coffee Break about the new cuTheme.
On February 24, we met to discuss our progress since our last Coffee Break in October.
FYI, we’ve been up to a lot!
Here are the Highlights:
Introducing our Team!
Mary Kathryn kicked things off by introducing our growing team. Check us out; we’re pretty awesome!
Reviewing our Portfolio and Services
First, we went over some of the things we do at Web Services.
This includes:
- Carleton homepage makeover
- We take care of the intranet (i.carleton.ca)
- Internal websites
- Framework sites
- CMS sites
- Custom websites
- Site reviews and renewals
- E-commerce services
- CuLearn and CuPortfolio services
- Training and support for content editors
What We’re Working on Right Now
We’re a busy team and there’s always a lot going on in our office. MK gave a quick overview of some of the things we’ve been working on in Web Services, like:
- Re-developing the intranet for better functionality (flexible and scalable)
- Turning banner forms into a more digital experience through the intranet
- Developing a new accommodation application
- Setting the look and feel of our sites with our new Raven Design System
- Rolling out the new cuTheme
- Creating and distributing newsletters
An Inside Look at the New cuTheme
We let one of our web experts, Michael, take the stage to give a sneak peek of what everyone’s been patiently waiting for: the new cuTheme!
Here’s what we covered.
cuTheme: What is it?
- One theme merging Framework and CMS
- Guided by our new Raven Design System, WGAG 2.0 AA accessibility requirements, and community feedback
- More modern look and feel
Why should you care?
- The new cuTheme provides an enhanced editor experience with new features
- You can also expect a faster and better loading experience (not-so-fun fact: 40% of site visitors will leave your site if it takes three seconds ore more to fully load)
- You will find it much easier to make your site accessible
Micheal then went over the new features in the cuTheme like listing blocks, timelines, banners, hosted images, and more. You can find more info about the new features in cuTheme here.
If you’d like a demonstration of the new cuTheme, check out our video recording of the coffee break recap and skip ahead in the video to 8 minutes and 36 seconds.
Our Plan to Support You
Navigating the new CuTheme will seem like a learning curve, but we have plans set in place to ensure that you get the help and support you need as you’re learning the ropes.
This plan for support includes:
- Online documentation – your online guide to using the new theme that will consist of written instructions and best practices
- Workshops – a combination of group and online training sessions where you’ll get hands-on experience navigating the new theme with us as your guides
- Online training – tutorial-style videos that you can follow along to
Migrating Your Site to cuTheme
Once we have the new theme up and running, all of our sites will be migrated into it. But don’t worry, we’ll be there to support you along the way.
The process will go a little something like this:
- We’ll move your site into staging and migrate your content
- You’ll receive training on the new theme
- We’ll then give you an accessibility review, and give you accessibility training
- We’ll do a final review
- And then launch your new site
Project Timeline
Early March: UX/UI focus group
End of March: Outstanding development tasks complete
April: Pilot/migration testing
Mid-April: Group training sessions begin
May: Rollout begins
And that sums up our coffee break. If we didn’t answer all your questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you’d like all the nitty-gritty details, we videotaped the entire session, so you don’t have to miss a thing. You’re welcome!
See you at the next coffee break!