JMC is re-imagining, re-designing, and re-launching our website - www.kent.edu/jmc* -- to provide all users with a better, simpler and more visually powerful experience. Current and future students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, future employers and friends familiar with the old site will immediately notice a new vibrancy to our web presence - a striking new design, larger photos, fresher content, better navigation and search tools and stronger student focus.
The new site, which launches today, achieves several important "firsts" for JMC and Kent State. JMC's site is the first website within Kent State's content management system to use responsive design, allowing users to view the site in a format that is compatible with their device of choice: desktops, laptops, smart phones or other mobile devices. The site also offers JMC's first section specifically designed for future students, first online gallery for the best student print and multimedia work, first landing pages for each undergraduate degree program, and our first future careers section incorporating Department of Labor employment projections for journalism, media and communication careers.
Designers and developers from IdeaBase (formerly known as The Tannery), University Communications & Marketing (UCM), the Information Services Web Presence team and JMC's Marketing & Media Committee worked together to improve the student's online experience. Content in virtually every section of the site has been updated and strengthened, with expanded sections for student media, student experience, and alumni news.
The new site follows seven months of research focused on what users - particularly future and current students - wanted and needed from the School's site. Feedback provided a clear blueprint for improvement. For example, the new site fixes long-standing problems with the old site, including outdated curriculum information, broken links, difficult navigation and limited search capability. The new site links directly to Kent State's GPS system so curriculum changes are updated immediately. Global navigation on the new site has the same look and feel as Kent State's, and JMC content can now be accessed via search from any Kent State site.
Students wanted to "see themselves" on the website, so we've added more, better and larger student photos and more examples of student opportunities and student life experiences. Students, faculty and staff, alumni and friends also wanted to see the School's distinctive brand attributes more fully reflected in the site, so pages are organized around JMC's three brand pillars: respected, relevant, and real.
The redesign of JMC's web presence does not end with this launch. JMC is committed to giving all users a better online experience, so future phases of development will bring new calendar and FAQ features, more video content, more information on internships and new career-prep tools. Take the time to browse and explore.
*Traffic to the old JMC web address will automatically be redirected to our new address.