Visitors to Loyola’s Web site, www.loyno.edu, should be on the lookout for an entirely revamped page at the beginning of 2008.

The Web team at Loyola has entered the preliminary stages of creating an entirely different visual design for the university’s site. It intends to make the information on the site more accessible and visually engaging for its viewers. The redesign of the homepage, along with some secondary pages, is set for completion in January or February 2008.

According to Web information manager Donna Goforth, Web sites generally require updates or major revisions at least every two years. This is especially true of a site such as Loyola’s, which had more than 6.5 million visits this year. However, with the university’s efforts to achieve re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2004 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the updates to the site have slowed down the past few years.

“Now we are positioned and ready for a new look and to develop Loyola’s (Web site) as an engaging and effective outreach to our audiences,” Goforth said in an e-mail to The Maroon.

Loyola’s site is divided in much the same way the university itself is, by colleges and departments. While they will still maintain this method, with the changes will also come an easier way to navigate the site.

“We’re going to simplify the navigation in some ways, and then add more options, too. We want people to get to where they want to go the fastest way possible,” said Jacee Brown, Loyola’s graphic Web designer.

There will also be some new additions made to the page.

“We’d also like for the Web site to incorporate some new elements, such as blogs, enhanced galleries and videos. These elements are all part and parcel of the ‘Web 2.0’ experience and are becoming standard on the more sophisticated higher end Web sites,” Brown said.

She added that though the Web team is still in planning mode, they do know that with the exception of the university logo, the colors, fonts and layout will all be changed. In addition, they will update outdated areas of the site, not only to have more current information, but also to connect parents, alumni and prospective students.

Kathryn Elise Madere can be reached at [email protected].