I don't want to show up Greenwich University...

[kae101]

but check out Bournemouth University's website.

http://home.bournemouth.ac.uk/ (http://home.bournemouth.ac.uk/)

Its young, exciting, sleek and well thought out. They haven't been afraid to use colour and really treat the website as their online advertising campaign, not just an information centre.

Although not perfect, it is certainly better than many University Websites I have seen and I genuinley think they will reap the benefits from putting so much effort in to the site.

KA

[Stewart]

They've employed a professional design agency to pull together the site so its looks fit for purpose... rather than what I assume is an internal best effort... but I can't help but agree with the sentiment, the website is a reflection of the brand and people often make instant decisions based on brand, perhaps Greenwich should do some vitruvian analysis of their competitors sites ?

[Tom]

They are the leading UK univesity for 'digital arts' and I guess they took advice from the staff. The UoG website is run by the Marketing Department - in splendid isolation from the staff and without any clear notion of what they are marketing. Just my view!

[David]

Agreed. Most Universities have been very slow to cotton on to the fact that they are now in a commercial market. Greenwich is way too inward-looking and the fact that they don't think it necessary to employ a proper design agency (or even consult with relevant staff!) speaks volumes.

Last week, there was an all-staff email to tell us that the University logo had been changed. Blink and you'll miss it - they have removed the "the" and we're now know as "University of Greenwich". That will have them queueing at the doors!

[kae101]

Wow, I might reapply next year that branding changed has effected me so greatly!

Is the logo just changed online or throughout the university?

The university I used to work at went through a change like this and the costs were outrageous. This could have easily been spent on the website!

The University I used to work at has the following site

http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/

which although slightly better than the Greenwich site still does not provide the punch that Bournemouth's does.

Their greatest triumph was excellent information architecture, particularly compared to the main University's site (www.city.ac.uk). Sadly the main site has now changed so the shocking comparison cannot be made, but it was a great example of how you don't think much about a site when they get it right, but you soon notice when they get it wrong and is one of the first reasons I became interested in web design.

University's would be so wise to note that their main target audience are 16 - 20 something year olds and that in this internet savvy generation its really worth getting it right!

KA

[philipjcowan]

Hey, you guys are doing my seminar topic for me....keep going...don't stop!! :)

Cheers

Philip

[msmoneypenny1]

Your right KA; the Bournemouth site is sleek and excites me when I see it. The Greenwich site is very convoluted and what is the large 'Greenwich' mirrored image doing stuck up in the right hand corner on the home page? it looks very naff while the university logo I don't mind because it looks quite sophisticated.
I remember before I joined this program that it was easier every time to google the course name than try to find it through the universities site.

[francis]

...hey have removed the "the" and we're now know as "University of Greenwich". That will have them queueing at the doors!

Reminds me of a record shop where the owner put a new carpet in and wondered why he wasn't seeing an increase in customers because of it. Seriously.

[Tom]

As well as making me smile, your story reminds me of the advice that if you see a company putting a new fountain in its lobby you should go home and sell their stock.