Efficacy of user surveys in designing a university website-a case study

Abstract

A website devoted to an academic institution sometimes fail to address its main purposes. In the process of satisfying the need of all stake holders- the students, faculty, alumni and outsiders, the elements of web design are compromised to an extent that either the website becomes too complex or becomes irrelevant. With advances in technology the role of web designers is also beginning to change from just being creators of a website to the facilitators of crafting a powerful user experience (UX). The very purpose of an academic website is now burdened with implementing elements of new technologies, such as, flashing banners, streaming videos and other gimmicks. The constant demands brought in by the advent of new tools and technologies and the changing role of designers makes it difficult to focus on the purpose of a website, but there is no choice for them but to keep experimenting. This paper is based on a random survey of 296 users of a university website to gauge its strengths and weaknesses. This survey resulted in a list of observations and demands, some realistic and many others being exhaustive and impractical. The purpose of this paper is to show that the web design has to focus on its tactical objectives. To meet these goals, this paper also suggests means and methods for implementing core elements of a website design to boost UX and add value.