How Squiz Provided Brunel University with Flexible and Extensible Tools to Develop and Maintain their New Website
Download the Brunel University Case Study (PDF)
The Challenge - Diverse Requirements
Brunel University is a world class university based in West London with a student body of over 15,000 students from 100 countries.
The University website had been running on a bespoke system for some time. Whilst this software worked well when first introduced, the rapidly increasing size and complexity of the site meant its limits were quickly being reached. Combine this with increasing audience expectations, for things like dynamic and social content, and it was clear a new platform was required.
The project was to include a new technology solution, a new graphic design, eventual University-wide roll-out, and training to create super-users within the university. In order to succeed, the team needed full backing from the University, both financially and in terms of board buy-in and support. Gareth Jones, who worked on the project full time as the implementation manager, explains:
“Communicating the scale of the project to the University was essential – in order to be successful the University needed to understand the level of commitment that was going to be required all the way through the project lifecycle.”
In addition to this, the new site needed to address the requirements of a wide range of different audiences. The most important of these are the public visitors to the site, a large number of whom are prospective students of the University. These users have a range of needs, not least the need to find up-to date course information quickly and easily. Meeting the needs of these users was a key objective. The site also needed to accommodate a large number of different schools and departments, each with their own specific content and functionality requirements. Gareth felt understanding this was crucial to the project:
“The scale of content, and the number of schools involved, meant this project was going to be a real challenge for everyone involved. We also quickly realised that one size would not fit all, and there were many different requirements to consider.”
The Solution - A Flexible, Extensible System
Squiz were selected after a rigorous selection process, with each bidding company being scored according to an extensive list of requirements. Squiz scored highly in three key areas; technology, professional services, and value for money. Gareth explains:
“Squiz scored highly in a number of areas. Firstly they had the right technology. We felt the platform offered the best mix of functionality and ease of use. Secondly we were impressed by the professional services offered by Squiz, particularly their graphic design function - they seemed to really understand the product and what we were trying to do with it. Finally, the proposed solution offered real value for money. We were able to focus the bulk of our spend on implementation, rather than on expensive license fees or setup costs”.
The final solution, is built on the Squiz Matrix CMS and is the culmination of a number of phases of work. The first of these phases - requirements gathering - saw Squiz working with the various stakeholders to determine the particular problems the site was trying to solve. One very important piece of functionally identified in this phase was the course finder component. A separate design and usability exercise focused on the user experience of the course finder to ensure that it was easy to understand and to use. Gareth explained;
“The course finder was identified as something the new site simply had to offer, as students finding course information easily was one of our main objectives. Defining the requirements and the design of this component was a real collaborative effort, with lots of iterations going back and forth between the teams. Not being restricted to a formal specification document allowed us to quickly create something that really works and adds significantly to the site. Feedback so far has been really positive.”
The website also features a brand new look and feel. Squiz worked with Gareth and the key stakeholders to create a modern, bold design that reflects existing brand guidelines as well as the contemporary feel of the University. Squiz developed a design that would meet the immediate requirements of the site and be extensible in the future. As additional sites and departments are rolled out, the modular design elements can be reused to suit new presentational requirements.
Ultimately Brunel were looking for a solution for their immediate requirement for a new website with a new visual design, that would also give them the ability to extend the solution themselves. Gareth adds:
“Due to the sheer number of stakeholders it would be impossible to deliver the perfect solution to everybody in one go. The project would become bogged down in requirements, and the website would end up satisfying no one. Part of the appeal of Squiz was that they gave us a solid platform as a base, and the tools to develop and expand in the future. As an internal web team we are now able to provide new departments and stakeholders with the functionality, tools and support they need to build and populate their own sites, based on their own unique requirements. It really is the best of both worlds for us as a University.”
The Result - Extremely Positive Feedback
The new site was successfully launched in October 2010, just five months after the project kicked off – a really impressive turnaround time for a small internal team. Additional sites and departments are being rolled out as part of a wider project over the course of 2011. Gareth and the web team are actively training and supporting these additional teams so they can create and launch their own sites. Squiz are providing ongoing support and guidance along the way, with the University purchasing a fixed amount of support time that can be used as needed.
This approach has proved perfect for Gareth and made the most of his internal resources:
“The University wanted expert help in designing and building the initial site. Squiz proved the perfect partner in this, delivering exactly what they said they would. Squiz are now acting in a support function, helping my team and I to maintain and grow the site. As we were actively involved in the main project we feel empowered with the right knowledge to take on and develop the site further in the future.”
Gareth also feels the public's response to the site has been extremely positive so far:
“Feedback from our users has been great. The new look and feel has gone down very well, and the course finder is proving a real improvement on what we had before. The project was certainly hard work, for both us and Squiz, but we got there in the end together.”
The Future - Further Expansion
Brunel wanted a system that would easily support future development of the site, so new work is actively being planned. The most immediate task is getting all University departments onto the new system. Once that job is complete the focus will turn to developing the sites to take advantage of features and functions of the software that aren’t currently being utilised.
Gareth also has one eye on future versions of the software:
“Our software agreement makes us eligible for future versions of the platform, and that is something the team is already looking toward to further improve the site.”
