If you were unable to attend the recent Web Wednesday event, no worries we have got you covered …

For this Web Wednesday, Troy took everyone through cuTheme. He started out with a demo of the various blocks and then dug into the backend to show us how things worked from a web content manager’s perspective.

Please take a few minutes to peruse the highlights below. Watch the video for all the juicy details!

(To view examples of the blocks currently in our development environment, click on the links below. *Please note, you will need to be on VPN)

cuTheme Blocks

Core Blocks

are content blocks provided by WordPress. These include headers, tables, buttons, quotes, and images.

Card Grids

are blocks that allow you to display content in a card format. There are currently 5 types of card grids in cutheme: , , events, videos, and .

Stacked Listings

are blocks that allow you to display content in a horizontal listing format. , and can be displayed this way.

Custom Blocks

are blocks that we have created specifically to meet the needs of our clients’ �Ӱ�ԭ�� websites. These include and .

cuTheme Backend Demo

Next up was a tour of the backend, and how to build pages in cuTheme. Some of the features that Troy reviewed include:

• The ability to review as you build
• SEO tools
• Modes of working (distraction-free writing, spotlight, fullscreen)
• Different ways to add blocks
• Cropping images within the theme
• Prepublishing checks for accessibility
• Embed (Kaltura, Power BI)
• Features of: Description List block, Stat card block
• Hero banner
• Features of listing blocks

Video Replay

Video Contents

Next Steps

We will be sharing more details about the rollout and migration plan in the near future. Stay tuned for an event invite!

In the meantime, we encourage you to do a site review. This will help you get ready for the new theme.

If you attended the workshop, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share your feedback and ideas for future Web Wednesday topics using the form below!

The post Web Wednesday Recap – cuTheme Demo and Update appeared first on Web Services.

If you were unable to attend our most recent Web Wednesday event, no worries. We’ve written a recap of the highlights and shared the video and slides below. Enjoy!

Transitioning to Google Analytics 4

Jamie Rodger from DUC kicked things off with an overview of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Universal Analytics (the current analytics version) will stop processing data after July 1st. What does this mean for �Ӱ�ԭ�� and for you?

GA4 Migration Needs and Goals

• Create one Google Tag Manager (GTM) account so that we can see user journeys holistically as they navigate across �Ӱ�ԭ�� sites
• Integrate Google marketing platform to better view campaigns and traffic
• User needs review: how many users do we need in analytics? what do they need to know?

GA4 vs UA

• No more session traffic
• Everything is event focussed
• It will be important to clarify audience segments

Current State

• GTM is installed and GA4 has been collecting data on several sites for a year
• Manually created index of sites
• Big Query Data initiated to save historical data
• Enterprise GA4 account set up
• High level universal dashboard in place

Next Steps

• Indicate if you would like to back up your historical UA data (contact Jamie in DUC)
• GA4 admin meeting to be scheduled in June
• GA4 training to begin in July

Crafting a Winning Instagram Pilot

Quinn was up next to share about how she created an Instagram pilot for Web Services.

What are your goals?

Quinn started, by giving a bit of background around our Instagram goals:

1. to enhance authority and reputation and
2. to build an online community.

It’s also important to take into consideration your target audience (in our case, individuals between the ages of 17-25).

They started off by doing a competitive analysis. This is a great strategy when planning any kind of content campaign. Look at what other universities or similar industries doing.

What content will you create?

Content Pillars

Keeping your goals and audience in mind, you can now come up with some ideas for content. We call these content pillars or categories. For example, we determined 4 key areas for content creation:

• Web Accessibility
• Search engine optimization
• Social media
• Web design and development

Post Types

Besides categories, we used a variety of content post types and evaluated which performed best. These included:

• Carousel posts
• Reels
• Photo posts
• Video posts
• Stories

Pilot Phase

Once you are ready to begin your pilot, there are a few things you need to determine. These include duration, objectives, and deliverables. Here’s an example from our plan:

• Duration: Three months (12 weeks)
• Stakeholders: Quinn Lin and Nadine Basil
• Objective: Assess the effectiveness of Instagram as a community-building tool for Web Services. Evaluate the long-term resource requirements for maintaining a presence on the platform.
• Deliverables: Strategic plan, Instagram account, monthly content calendars, social media content, retrospective minutes, bi-weekly metrics report, and project report
• Evaluation: Bi-weekly metrics

Tips for a Successful Pilot

There are a few things you can do along the way to ensure a successful pilot.

• Track things! We did this by looking at our metrics biweekly.
• Create a content calendar outlining what and when you will post.
• Hold retrospective meetings to determine what is and is not working.

Best Practices (or things we learned …)

• Include animations in carousel posts
• Tag other accounts in posts where appropriate and use geo-location tags to increase visibility and engagement
• Periodically monitor followers’ age range and most active times to inform posting schedule
• Regularly track metrics to determine how the account is performing and adjust accordingly
• Repurpose existing content. This will help to save time and resources while maximizing reach.
• Make sure content is aligned with your organizational mission and values.
• Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from your team members.

cuTheme Update

To wrap things up, Troy shared the latest cuTheme designs. We’ve been working on some really cool ideas for hero banners and featured content. You can have a look at these designs by going

Be sure to check them out. We can’t wait to bring them to life in cuTheme!

Feedback

If you attended the workshop, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share your feedback and ideas for future Web Wednesday topics using the form below!

The post Web Wednesday Recap – Crafting a Winning Instagram Pilot appeared first on Web Services.

We held our second Web Wednesday on April 12. If you missed this recent workshop on Agile, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered!  Please find the highlights below.

Sprints and Superheroes: How Agile Has Transformed the Way We Work

Mary Kathryn started things off with some background on the Web Team and what we do. We are a team of 12 made up of developers, communications specialists, and of course our manager, Mary Kathryn. We focus on two areas of work. First, we have a number of different projects on the go at any given time (e.g., managing the �Ӱ�ԭ�� template, E-commerce, events calendar, training & documentation, and workshops …) And secondly, we also do a lot of client support which comes to us via service desk tickets.

We needed a way to take all of this varied work, make it manageable, and keep it forward-moving. Plus we wanted a work environment that fostered collaboration and learning.

The Plan

To kick things off we held a planning workshop. We focused on three key areas: products and services, client support, and the way we work. Within each of these areas, we identified objectives (e.g., establishing positive relationships with stakeholders, and being leaders in digital accessibility ..) Each person came up with ideas and initiatives related to the objectives. Afterward, Mary Kathryn prioritized the initiatives, wrote goals, and established deliverables. Have a look at what we came up with – our Roadmap for 2022/23 and the detailed plan.

We now had a plan but needed a way to implement it. A couple of our developers came from an environment where Agile had been used. So we decided to try it out!

Agile

Agile is a framework used mainly in IT software delivery, but we use it for all of our project work – development and communications, and client support. It is a way of working that clarifies what needs to get done, involves the whole team, and focuses on output.

The Scrum and Our Sprints

Within Agile, Scrum is a specific methodology that focuses on teamwork, accountability, incremental delivery, and continuous improvement. It defines a prescribed amount of time to get the work done – these are called sprints. Each of our sprints is made up of:

• Designated roles – Product Owner, Scrum Master/Superhero
• Work that is defined in user stories and tasks that are managed in Jira
• Four kinds of meetings: Sprint planning, Daily stand-ups, Demos, and Retrospectives.
• One week of learning and development following the sprint work

The Meetings

We run four specific kinds of meetings during our sprints. They are all working meetings and each has a specific purpose and goal.

1. Sprint Planning

This 2-hour meeting is held at the start of the Sprint.  We discuss what needs to get done, how much time it will take, and who the best lead is for each user story (or task).

2. Daily Stand-Ups

The goal of these meetings is to say hello and find out where each person is at with the sprint work. These 15-minute meetings are run by our superhero, who is also responsible for taking care of ticket work (client requests) throughout the sprint. Everyone shares what they are working on and if they have any blockers to moving forward with sprint work.

3. Demos

At the end of the sprint, we meet to show the client what we’ve been working on. This is an important meeting that is used for feedback.

4. Retrospectives

At the end of the sprint, we get together for a retrospective meeting to check in, and chat about what did not go well and what did go well. We use this to adjust and better our next sprint. We also recognize a sprint champion, someone who stood out during the sprint for their outstanding contribution!

Learning and Development Week

At the end of each sprint, we have one full week set aside for learning and development. The learning is tied directly to the work we’re doing. We also use this week to wrap up the outstanding tasks, write documentation and hold all the meetings (retrospectives, demos, sprint planning).

The Transformation

Agile has changed the way we work for the better:

• Priorities are clear and everyone knows what others working on
• More knowledge transfer
• It’s highly collaborative, inclusive and we have amazing communication on the team
• People get to choose what they want to work on (very motivating!)
• Everyone gets to show off their work
• Learn new skills (e.g, developers run meetings, learning and development week)
• Blockers (issues) are handled immediately

We have learned that the time it takes to plan, connect, and reflect is worth it!

Your Turn

We wanted to leave you with a tangible takeaway. Something that you could try out in your own work environment. Use this workflow as a template to apply the Agile principles and create your own Sprint! We’d love to hear how it goes.

cuTheme Sneak Peek: People Cards

Near the end of the workshop, Ishdeep showed off the latest work on cuTheme. People cards were the highlight of the day and he demonstrated the various features and display options. For a sneak peek into other cuTheme work, have a look at our new video series!

If you attended the workshop, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share your feedback and ideas for future Web Wednesday topics using the form below!

The post Web Wednesday Recap – Agile appeared first on Web Services.

If you missed our workshop on top navigation, don’t fret – we are here for you!

Today I’ll be recapping our recent (and very first…) Web Wednesday that we held on March 22. It went so well and we were thrilled with the response from everyone.

Please check out the highlights below!

What do we mean by navigation?

Mary Kathryn kicked things off with an overview. Navigation is essentially a way to help users navigate and get around your website. A nav menu is usually made up of the static pages on your site. She introduced different kinds of navigation. These include:

• Top/horizontal nav
• Side/vertical nave
• Primary nav
• Secondary nav
• Top-level, second-level, third-level nav (these are the pages and sub-pages)
• Jump to menus (for things that may not be a part of the main nav – at the top right in some of our themes)
• Footer

Sites in our cms theme use a side nav. Our framework theme has a top nav. And the cuTheme pilot sites have either side or navigation menus. As you can see we have tried a variety of things. And we are now thinking about how best to approach the navigation in cuTheme. One of the things we are considering is a move to top nav only.

Why are we considering the move to top navigation?

We’ve been researching and chatting with others. Here are some of the benefits we see to a top nav:

• It would create a consistent user experience across the �Ӱ�ԭ�� domain.
• Allows the use of the entire width of the screen for content (more real estate)
• Makes for a better mobile experience (simplified, limited number of top items)
• Accessible and consistent at �Ӱ�ԭ�� and becoming industry standard across the web.
• Simplifies our template. This streamlines development and creates more capacity to work on community-requested features (cool things for you!)

Concerns

The number one concern voiced from our community was around the size of menus and how this would work with a top nav. Other issues that came up included: the potential loss of red buttons on the side, how multilevel navs would function, and the work involved in having to rework current navigation menus. These are all things that we will take under careful consideration.

Options and best practices

Next up, Troy took the floor to share some examples of sites from around the web. Our team has been researching best practices and we’ve looked at a lot of different sites.

Here is a list of sites that Troy previewed:

One of our clients, Jesse, mentioned as an example of modern-looking navigation.

Breakout!

We broke into small groups to chat about concerns and to get your thoughts and ideas about top navigation. We came away with the impression that many of you are excited about the idea of a top nav. We also had some great suggestions, such as considering how a top nav would interact with the search bar. People asked about re-organizing their menus. And someone suggested a workshop focused on re-working menus and best practices. (We love this idea – stay tuned!)

cuTheme sneak peek

When we reconvened as a group, Troy gave us a sneak peek into cuTheme and some of the blocks the team has been working on. You can have a look at some of our teaser videos here.

Next steps

Thank you so much to everyone who attended. If you were not able to make it, please feel free to have a look at the video below. We are going to take our research along with your ideas and go through a review process. We’ll work on developing navigation ideas and mockups to share with this community.

If you have any other thoughts or concerns, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you!

The post Web Wednesday Recap – Top Navigation appeared first on Web Services.

Web developers from �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Web Services, Troy Chaplin and Mike Corkum, will give presentations at WordCamp Montreal on June 29 and 30.

During this year’s Wordcamp Montreal, Chaplin will give , “a great feature in WordPress that allows you to break out into specific areas of content that can be used for anything the mind can imagine,” as Chaplin describes in his Wordcamp Montreal session profile. This session is for WordPress beginners and intermediate developers.

Corkum will give a presentation called “”. He will talk about “development methods that web developers can use to make coding easier, faster, also increase the overall quality of the sites that they develop.” This session is for intermediate developers with knowledge of WordPress theming and coding.

Chaplin and Corkum have both contributed to WordCamp conferences for several times. The latest one they have attended was .

WordCamp Montreal is an annual conference about WordPress.

Download the Presentations

• – Troy Chaplin
• – Mike Corkum

The post Web Services presence at WordCamp Montreal appeared first on Web Services.

In August I had the exciting opportunity to speak at the WordPress annual world conference: WordCamp San Francisco. The best thing about this was the opportunity I had to go and tell hundreds of people from around the world how our users at �Ӱ�ԭ��, in conjunction with the CCMS Project Team (now Web Services) had managed to establish 240 websites WordPress in just two years. You can online. From the conversations I had after I had spoken, it is clear that we as a web community at �Ӱ�ԭ�� are using WordPress far and beyond all universities and most businesses who were represented at the conference.

The main reason I am blogging about this though is to highlight how I ended up speaking at such an important and prestigious venue, because it is a great illustration of the power of social media.

I had no idea, six days before I was speaking to a packed theatre in San Francisco, that I would be doing so. I was scheduled to attend the conference, but only as an audience member. On the weekend before I was due to fly out, members of our team were tweeting back and forth on the subject of the conference, using the hash tag WCSF so others interested in the subject would see what we were discussing. I mentioned I would be there, representing the university who had more WP websites than any other (without knowing if this were true or not!) Literally half an hour later I received an email from the head of user experience with WordPress, saying that I had to speak at WordCamp. She had seen my tweet, googled �Ӱ�ԭ��, found a presentation Mary Kathryn Roberts and I had made at a previous conference, and decided our story was a definite must for WordCamp. That is the power of tools like Twitter.

The post The power of social media: WordCamp San Francisco appeared first on Web Services.