About This Site

How to Use the New ND.edu

Carousel. The site's brand new look–and–feel is epitomized by its interactive carousel. The carousel will display exciting and interactive content, including video, Flash pieces, and announcements.

Video is a major feature of ND.edu. We recommend that you upgrade your Flash Player to the latest version. The upgrade is free and can be downloaded from Adobe’s website.

Download the latest Adobe Flash Player >

To move the carousel, simply click one of the smaller images on either side of the large center graphic. To play video or learn more about the content in the center graphic, just click on it.

Search. Web industry trends show that users choose search as the most efficient way of finding information. In order to provide a top–notch experience for users of sites in the Notre Dame domain, we invested in a Google search engine, which began indexing pages in July 2007.

The search box is located in the top and center of every page. Type the information you're seeking into the box and click "Go!"

Popular Sites. As we studied analytics from the previous ND.edu, we learned that visitors used the site to find other ”Popular Sites,“ such as WebMail, Corporate Time, and InsideND. We now feature these and other popular sites at the top of each page.

Click on "Popular Sites" in the top menu bar, and the list of sites will appear.

Standards. The Web development for ND.edu is a blend of best practices learned and developed by the Notre Dame Web Group along with methods consistent with industry accepted Web Standards. It is XHTML Strict compliant.

Some Background

The first University of Notre Dame website was launched in 1994. Today, it is one of the most visible in higher education, receiving an average of 45,000 visits each day.

The increasing importance of Web communications compelled the University to begin a website redesign initiative in 2006.

Our Team and Its Process

The site you see today is the product of a year's worth of research.

The Office of Public Affairs and Communication and two of its subsidiaries, the Notre Dame Web Group and the Notre Dame Media Group, partnered with Ripple Effects Interactive, a premier interactive agency, and a campus advisory committee for the research phase of the project. We studied analytics, organized focus groups, and conducted internal and external reviews of the site.

Once we completed the research phase, our in–house creative team began working on a concept for the site.

The result? The Notre Dame experience, brought to life by the interactive Flash–powered carousel featured on the home and audience pages of the site.

Design, technical development, and content writing and editing were produced by an in–house team that includes several graduates of the University. A substantial portion of featured video has and will continue to be produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

Ongoing user feedback is an important component of the site. We will continue to improve ND.edu based upon what you tell us.

What's Next?

We have plans to create a new campus map, calendar, and virtual tour. We also will craft new ways for our students, faculty, and staff to share their stories via RSS feeds and a mobile version of the website.

This is just the beginning. What are your ideas? Share them with us. >