New web design implemented successfully!

By Bill Anderton on 3/15/2013 3:09 PM

Just after midnight, March 14th, I completed the previously announced design-refresh of all facets of the website. Please note that all of the feature/functions remain the same, this was "just" the application of a new presentation layer or "skin" on the site.

The features and function of this Virtual Classroom are unchanged and were completely uninterrupted during the cut-over. You simply have an improved graphic design to work with.

The public website, however, is getting a complete make-over.

If you missed the announcements, see
https://www.transformingthechurch.org/pages/news-item?r=097HYVNS4R
and
https://www.transformingthechurch.org/pages/news-item?r=PKTOVXIT6V

The biggest near-term impact on the public website is part of our preparation for planned Spring/Summer expansion.

Our website is a very large multi-faceted space. It is already easy to become solely focused on the class we're taking or the community we're participating in and loose track to the totality. This will become more pronounced as we expand. I liken the website to an iceberg where the public only sees its topmost part while the bulk is submerged out of view (requiring registration to participate.)

The new design, as applied to the public website, endeavors to make what is happening in the total community more visible.

The new design will put more of the public's attention on the mainstays of the website that occur in the unseen largest part of our iceberg that is below the surface and behind our registration “wall”:

• Courses
• Communities
• Events

The purpose of the design is to entice visitors to register and become members of our Connected Community and courses.

This will be very important as we gear-up the Connected Community this Spring with free events and add more courses.

Also, and very important in the long-term, the new design will allow me to add features to better support mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. My content management system (currently version 8.5) allows me to author pages once and have the servers provide pages that are optimized for each device our visitors and students use. People using desktop browsers will see the pages you are seeing now; but mobile users will see pages optimized for their screen sizes and user interfaces.

With this design-refresh completed, I will be able to launch the new Page Styles for mobile devices in the next several weeks.

If you have a chance, explore the new public site.

I you enjoy the new design!