A conversation with Director of Web Publishing Stephen Porter, who spearheaded the project Sally Holm: How long has the work been going on, Steve? Steve Porter: We started in early 2007 with the discovery phase, gathering opinions from every segment of the Andover community—15 different groups in all— on the school’s core values, the strengths and weaknesses of the current site, and general perceptions of the school. Working with Bostonbased design firm BigBad, we used that data to craft a Web strategy that would help us better communicate Andover’s unique characteristics to prospective students, strengthen communication among our constituencies, and make site updates easier. Once the strategy was in place, we set about building the site from scratch, testing and retesting it, and then finally launching the site on September 25, 2008. So it was about 20 months from beginning to
Q&A Why It ‘Took a Village’ to Build Our New Web Site
end—although it’s one of those projects that’s never really complete. Working with the Office of Technology, we’re enhancing the site and adding content to it every single day. SH: What was the most frustrating part of the process? SP: Definitely the debugging. After the initial site delivery, we uncovered more than 350 bugs that had to be fixed—something I didn’t really expect. But I think it was a function of the fact we were building the site from scratch. Everything about it is customdesigned, and it is really a state-of-theart site, one that expresses Andover’s unique character, takes advantage of the latest technologies, and gives us the flexibility to add new functionality as the site grows. Going that route made the process more complex, but in the end, I think it was worth it.
Office of Communication Web staff Jeff Rask (far left), Josh Clanton (back center), and Neil Evans (back right) were responsible for much of the site’s functionality and content. To upload nearly 1,200 pages of content, they relied on summertime help from six students. From left are Thomas Kramer ’11, Catherine McManus ’09, Taylor Clarke ’10, Samantha Lawson ’10, and Alexander Svec ’08. Not pictured: Nichols College student Deborah Sweeney.
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SH: What’s most impressive about the new site? SP: I love how sophisticated it is both in design and functionality. I feel it really reflects Andover’s character. And, despite being very cutting edge, the graphic design, with its use of parchment and classic fonts, conveys a sense of history and tradition. We’ve also recently added a virtual tour, which includes 360-degree photos of the campus. Those photos are probably my favorite feature. SH: The site continues to evolve. What can we expect to see added in the next year? SP: Two new features to look for are the library subsite and new class and regional association pages for alumni that will make it easier for alums to keep in touch with one another and will help PA do a better job of communicating with them. We also are looking to make greater use of streaming video and podcasts, great features for both alumni and parents. A few sections, such as the faculty directory and the events calendar, still need work. We’re also teaching people around campus how to manage their own sections of the site. SH: So why did it take a village to build the new site? SP: It took the observations, opinions, insights, and skills of hundreds of people to create a face to the world that really looks and feels like Andover— a face that successfully communicates the uniqueness, the broad student experience, the resources, and the essence of the school’s humanity and seriousness of purpose. It was a true community effort.