School of Nursing website has a brand-new style

Visit the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) website (nursing.vanderbilt.edu) and experience easier navigation, more robust content, improved usability and up-to-date news, thanks to a redesigned and restructured website.

The new site launched in June 2016 after more than 20 months of extensive planning, design and development. The website features:

• a homepage with expanded news and research news section, admissions information, and links to the most used sections of the school’s site;
• a comprehensive faculty and staff database with expanded contact, profile, social and research information;

• improved social media and video content integration; and
• easy-to-find contact and location services.

Users will also find that the site incorporates new website design standards and has been built for easy display and use on different electronic devices. In addition, behind-the-scenes users now benefit from an embedded content management system.

The redesign was conceptualized and created by D. Keith Wood, manager, and Megan Clancy, web designer/ developer, in the school’s Frist Nursing Informatics Center (FNIC). They worked closely with VU Web Communications, led by Director Lacy Paschal and supported by Web Designer/Developer Chris Craig. Additional assistance was provided by John Norfleet, FNIC support coordinator, and Lily Saadoun, computer systems analyst.

“We’re excited to provide a responsive, mobile-friendly site with many upgrades and improvements,” Wood said. “We also wanted to address the usability, functionality and adherence to the ever-changing web 2.0 standards.”

Clancy said she hopes the website’s new design is intuitive and pleasant to use. “We want users to have the same ease of use and great experience whether they are on desktops, tablets or phones.”

Linda Norman, dean of the School of Nursing and the Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing, gave the web team its overall vision charge.

“I wanted our new website to provide visitors and potential students with easy-to-find, easy-to-use and accurate information,” Norman said. “It’s also important that our website showcase the vital research of VUSN faculty and the programs and centers associated with VUSN. I like that the team was able to implement research both on the homepage and with a research section.”

The website design and architecture are designed to complement the main Vanderbilt University website. In addition, it was important that the site employ improved usability and maintenance, and that it adhere to Google’s search standards, Wood said. This was the second major overhaul of the website’s structure since 2007. The last update was in mid-2012.