“Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” is a fairytale that never gets old. It’s a great story. Even in its many versions, all of the Aladdin stories have some things in common: the lamp, three wishes, and (who could forget?) a genie. What is it about the story that readers and movie-goers like?
As one of our family’s favorites, Disney’s versions of “Aladdin” created a genie that was full of personality as well as “phenomenal cosmic powers.” Something that makes Genie so likeable is his shapeshifting abilities that allow him to both crack jokes and adapt to his surroundings.
These days, just like the resilient Genie portrayed in “Aladdin,” your school website must have a responsive design that is adaptable based on the needs of your site visitors, whether on their desktop, smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Your school’s website must supply the information they seek in a seamless, convenient way.
If your school doesn’t have a responsive website design yet, I’ve got bad news for you—your website is old and outdated!
When it comes to technology, there is no place for old and outdated. For example, Microsoft is in the “End of Life” stage with Windows 7. In January 2020, the company will end support for any systems still running the outdated operating system. Apple does the same, dropping support for many older devices. Like it or not, when it comes to technology, it’s adapt or die. Let’s compare this to your school website. If your website hasn’t been updated in the last five years, chances are it may suffer from one or all of these issues: a lack of security, out of compliance with ADA requirements, or unresponsive.
In this blog, we’ll focus on what responsive design does for your school website. As you provide full access to your website for all devices you expand, deepen, and fortify your connection with your school community.
Let's look at some of the reasons responsive websites offer “a whole new world”—because by providing full access to your website on all devices, you are doing just that!
“Phenomenal Cosmic Power, Itty-Bitty Living Space”
For Aladdin’s genie, he was limited by his living space, but online there are no spacial limits. In our fast-paced and quick-to-change world, it can be tricky to keep up, technologically-speaking. A responsive website design (RWD) is a product that makes an easy-to-view and navigable experience for your site visitors, regardless of the device they are using. The website design responds to the orientation and size of the visitor’s screen, so no matter what device your visitors are using, the design will help your school put its best foot forward and create a smooth, accessible experience.
School Webmaster’s Director of User Interface, Sarah King, explains, “Responsive design is thinking about the needs of the end user based on what type of device they are using, the size of that device, and what information is most important to see first based on screen size. For example, how do we maximize the use of the smaller real estate of a phone screen but still get all of the same information in an intuitive manner on each page?” Sarah continues, “One example would be the main navigation. The font would be super tiny and not very legible if we left it all in a horizontal row. We could put it into just a plain link list at the top of each page, but then it takes more scrolling to get to other information below it. Thus, the industry standard is to use a collapsible hamburger menu where this link list can be collapsed and hidden when its not being used.”
Layouts of a school’s responsive website may change from device to device, depending on the screen size and resolution. Websites lose the high bandwidth and slow-to-load elements, such as large photos, when a mobile-friendly school website is viewed from a smartphone where the navigation is simplified.
Mobile-friendly websites require very little resizing, panning, or scrolling to get to the information visitors need. If a visitor is on a tablet or a desktop, your school website would automatically resize for those device sizes.
Here’s an example of how one school’s website changes depending on the device.
Poof! What Do You Need?
These days, schools must be in the marketing business. One important tip to remember is that it’s not always about what you want others to know about your school. It’s about what they want to know. Schools that excel at public relations and customer service consider their prospective school community as well as their current parents and students. Your website's content is for them.
Considering a topic? Think of them. Wondering how to word something or which tone to set with a certain communique? Think of them. If you’re not sure what they need most from your school’s website, talk to them and find out. Online surveys are a great way to reach a large group and gather in the information.
Sit Down and Get Your Wishes
If you’ve been procrastinating a redesign because you’re not convinced it matters to your audience, please reconsider. Even if your school or district is located in a rural community with limited internet access, parents and students across the board demographically have internet access and devices, especially on smartphones.
When developing a responsive website, be careful not to get too fancy. Tried and true website architecture works. It works because people know where to go to get what they are looking for. Use horizontal and drop-down navigation if needed. Quick links help target certain audiences such as students, parents, staff, and community. Categories should not be your primary navigational structure however, because not all your visitors will fit those molds.
You Need Not Be Silent
In 2019, Naomi Scott moved audiences with the new song, “I Won’t Be Silent” in Disney’s live-action version of Aladdin. Your school website will stand up and speak out when it allows visually impaired users to view it without having to use zooming because of it’s responsive design that allows it to reflow when it’s resized.
A responsive design assists with accessibility standards. If you need to become accessible, consider creating a responsive design at the same time. Responsiveness and accessibility serve the same functions; the two are very complementary. It is ideal to develop both at the same time. The strategy involved in making a site that adjusts to various devices requires coding a site to standards that also move you toward website accessibility. Going responsive is a step in the right direction toward school website accessibility.
Website ADA compliance is a requirement and at the heart of website accessibility. Fortunately, a responsive design, together with an ADA-compliant website helps ensure compatibility with the different devices your current and prospective students and their families use. It also helps to ensure the proper functioning of screen readers and other accessibility devices.
