Does this website work? University of Miami

University Business, Oct, 2004 by Alana Klein

SUGGESTIONS

* Infuse more color. Spice up the color scheme with some bolder, more vibrant shades of UM's school colors without overstating the "beachy" colors often associated with Florida.

* Reprioritize info. On the Student Life & Services page, the announcements (which are currently at the bottom of the page) should be moved to the top right of the page. This way, they will have more visibility.

* Use bullets. An easy way to break up text-heavy parts of the site is to create bullets. This would be especially useful in the "About UM" section.

* Rethink placement of links. On the Calendar page, the link back to "UM Home" should be placed at the top of the page. Links back to the home page should never be hidden at the bottom of the page.

* Update video. Prospective students want to see an up-to-date video of the school. Colleges are constantly evolving--building new structures, initiating new programs. The video should capture all the nuances.

* Needs breadcrumbs. No, not the kind you use to coat chicken. We're talking about the ones that keep track of the links you've visited so that you can see where you've been. Using the browser's Back button can be tedious. Breadcrumbs are a much faster way to backtrack.

Cathy Kushner is the parent of a prospective college freshman.

Keith Moore is the principal of Keith Moore Associates (www. keithmooreassociates.com), a marketing and communications consulting firm specializing in higher education.

Kirk Snedeker is web manager for University Business and former webmaster for Southern Connecticut State University.

Jane Sheehan is a college freshman.

Annette Jeffes is a former college counselor and director of Admissions at Excelsior Cortege (NY).