Take our survey!
We’ve created a survey to find out why people use the current research webpages and what they like and dislike about that experience. Anyone who enters could win a £30 Amazon voucher for taking part!...
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Design sprints
To help improve the development of the University website, we have begun implementing the methodologies of ‘design sprints’ into our process. Our friends over at the University of Dundee were so kind...
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Our research survey says…
In order to inform the design of the new University of St Andrews research section, the digital communications team wanted to establish what the top tasks were for users of the current research...
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New University library homepage
On Monday 13 January 2019, the digital communications team launched an improved University library homepage. This update was made in light of the feedback gathered by library staff in focus groups and...
View ArticleSite performance and its impact on user experience
“Developers have a greater impact on user experience than designers do”, Paul Boag claims in his Why performance is the best way to improve the user experience article, and that “non-visual elements on...
View ArticleHow to set up an intranet project in 11 steps
Setting up a project correctly is an important but often overlooked phase of any project. Successful intranet-redesign projects start before sketching, feature selection, or coding. In light of an...
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Bad UX design fails
The internet is a wonderful place. It is a modern library of all knowledge, the epicentre of human creativity, and the source of horrible user interface patterns that create an infinite amount of...
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The information scent of links
When looking at links on a web page, how do you decide which one will take you closer to your goal? You’ll choose the one with the highest information scent – the link with relevant terms and context...
View ArticleOffline first
One of the biggest challenges we face is to ensure that our websites continue to work on all manner of devices. To meet this challenge, many web developers have adopted a mobile first design process....
View ArticleThe three hats of user experience
User experience (UX) and design patterns fall under three categories (or hats) – white hat, grey hat, and black hat – or more simply put, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The terms white/grey/black hat...
View ArticleSearch autocomplete
We have recently upgraded our search autocomplete functionality within the main site header. This update is designed to give users the best experience possible, reducing the amount of typing required...
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New front-end developer
Hello world! I’m Teodora, and just last week, I hopped on board the Digital Communications team as a front-end web developer. As a front-end developer, there’s nothing I enjoy more than building...
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Instructional web content: The good and the bad
Instructional web content plays a vital role in guiding users to successfully complete tasks. However, not all instructional content is equal. Some content effortlessly assists users, while others...
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Benefits of Microsoft 365’s ecosystem
Digital ecosystems have reshaped how we approach productivity by seamlessly connecting various tools and services. Among the major tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Apple, ecosystems have become...
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Simplifying user testing: Steve Krug’s approach to usability
Steve Krug’s Rocket Surgery Made Easy shows a simple and efficient approach to usability testing that can provide deep insights on the University’s web pages. Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug is...
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Why you should rethink using PDF documents for online content
Consumption of digital content is part of our every day lives. It has never been easier for anyone to quickly create digital content. However, there’s a common pitfall many businesses and individuals...
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Laying the foundations for the University of St Andrews Design System
How the insights from Andrew Couldwell’s Laying the Foundations have helped the University to create its own design system. Creating a robust and future-proof design system for the University of St...
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Unlocking website optimisation: a comprehensive tool comparison
We explore some of the top tools that can refine websites for peak performance to improve user experience, enhance SEO rankings, and ensure accessibility. Website performance can significantly improve...
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