The department of Political Science at UC Berkeley is considered one of the top schools in the United States, as well as the entire world for the study of politics.
Challenge
- Outdated Design: The existing website lacked mobile responsiveness and did not meet current accessibility standards.
- Content Management Difficulties: Managing and updating content was cumbersome for department staff.
- Disconnected Data: Courses and faculty information were not dynamically linked, leading to inconsistent user experiences.
Solution
To address these challenges, Black Antelope undertook a comprehensive redesign and rebuild of the department's website using Drupal. The project focused on creating a clean, modern design that is easy to navigate and exceptionally mobile-friendly.
A key enhancement was the integration of courses and events through automatic imports from central campus APIs, allowing for real-time updates while retaining the flexibility for manual edits when necessary. This approach streamlined content management and ensured that users received the most current information.
Accessibility was a paramount concern; therefore, the new site was developed to conform to ADA WCAG 2.0 requirements, making it as accessible as possible to users with disabilities and aligning with university standards.
By leveraging Drupal's strength in managing structured content, the site now automatically creates relationships between courses and faculty members. This dynamic linking enables users to easily navigate from a course to the instructor's profile and vice versa, enhancing the overall user experience.
Results
- Enhanced User Experience: Improved navigation and mobile responsiveness have made the site more user-friendly.
- Streamlined Content Management: Automated data imports and dynamic content relationships have reduced administrative overhead.
- Improved Accessibility: Compliance with ADA WCAG 2.0 standards ensures broader accessibility for all users.
- Dynamic Content Linking: Automatic associations between courses and faculty profiles provide a more cohesive and informative experience.
