Overlooked Opportunities: Website Design Differentiates McMaster’s In-plant

McMaster University’s web design team members collaborate on a new site design. From left: Simon Oakley, Melanie Phillips, and Tyler McIntyre. | Credit: McMaster University

In the past, website design at McMaster University was spread out among different web development teams on the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, campus. As a result, the web presence was rather siloed and disjointed says Simon Oakley, creative and web development manager.

And then the 20-employee Media Production Services operation started offering full-service website design to the various departments it serves.

“We were already doing graphic design services and started getting requests for web development,” Oakley says. “Initially, we custom-built sites for each project, but this approach became unsustainable due to the need for individual updates in accessibility, branding, and security. To address this, we adopted a continuous improvement model, culminating in an initiative that we called MacSites, where all sites run on the same platform, ensuring consistent updates and innovations.” Because his designers serve the university as a whole, not just specific faculty, websites now have a more consistent look, he says.

At first, Oakley did most of the work, including the planning, design, and coding, but as the popularity of the MacSites service grew, so did the need for a larger team. He outsourced work at first, but in time was able to justify bringing staff on full time to create and support sites.

“I oversee a creative group consisting of two senior designers, one multimedia coordinator, and four web developers,” he says. The department also partners with the IT group for the server infrastructure needed for the websites.

Originally, Oakley notes, the in-plant promoted the MacSites service through word of mouth, but lately has been more proactive about letting various departments know the service is available, including using email marketing and social media updates.

Oakley says his department was fortunate to have a sponsor on campus willing to finance the experiment for two years to see if it could work. “It gave us a head start,” he says, “We could focus on how to build this smarter, and how we can benefit the platform beyond just the sites.”

Over the past three years, the adoption of MacSites has grown considerably, thanks to key faculty partnerships, making it the most popular web platform at McMaster University, with more than 300 live websites and counting.

Oakley has a few pieces of advice for those considering web design and development services:

• Develop a financial strategy, possibly through subscription models.
• Offer additional services like content support and custom training workshops.
• Partner with IT units for server hosting.
• Clearly define your services and scope.
• Make your service a one-stop shop for web clients.
• Collaborate with faculties to offer a strategic web service for their departments.
• Cultivate relationships with brand marketing and IT partners.
• Create a scalable strategy and communicate updates effectively.