Our new site is open for content teams to begin adding content and working on program landing pages! Woot!
Content team leaders received an email this afternoon with “getting started” information and resources. For reference, we’ve also added a new page on this site with links to training resources, plus the schedule for office hours/open lab help sessions.
Thank you to everyone for your contributions, time, and collaboration that allowed us to reach this milestone.
As you read in last week’s project blog post, we are on track to open up the new website to content teams this week.
This is that moment when we are just about at the top of the first big hill on a roller coaster. That moment when some of us are getting a little excited about what’s to come, some of us are thinking, “what did I get myself into?”, and a few are silently screaming, “I want to get off!”
There are some ups and downs ahead. Let’s pause for just a moment to exchange some virtual high-fives for all we’ve accomplished together to get us to this point! Thank you!
For content team leaders: Here’s a heads up about what you can expect this week.
For everyone: Remember, if you have a question about specific content that you own or manage and haven’t yet had a conversation with the relevant content team, now’s the time!
We are asking content teams to get started first with entering content and working on program landing pages (if applicable).
Later this month, we will re-engage with county leaders and office managers about county landing pages and county-specific, non-program content. This work will be most useful to do after there is more real content in the site, tagged with counties as appropriate.
We’ll continue to share updates on this blog. Please stay tuned!
Greetings good people of OSU Extension:
We’ve said it before, and it’s worth repeating: Thank you to our colleagues who are serving on content teams, and especially the content team leaders.
In the long run, our new web strategy will support us to have the right people focused on the right things, from programming to local relationships to website management. In the short-term, we’re working through issues and challenges together. And content teams are doing a lot of the initial heavy lifting–assessing, organizing, evaluating, and making decisions about content–with support from our program leaders.
Remember: If you have a question about specific content that you own or manage and haven’t yet had a conversation with the relevant content team, now’s the time!
Thanks also to anyone who shared the content strategist job posting with their networks. We have a strong applicant pool, and the search committee is now in the screening phase.
We’re in the midst of a busy phase of the project–preparing for initial content entry. This involves detailed web work, a lot of meetings and emails, and in-depth discussions with (and within) content teams. We know there is some uncertainty–anxiety even–about how certain things will look or work on the new site.
Let’s press pause for just a moment, and revisit the “why” for this project.
OSU Extension helps Oregonians–and Oregon–thrive. You help that happen. Your partnerships, community relationships, programs, information, and expertise help that. Our current web presence and digital strategy hinders it.
We can do better. We start now.
Learn more:
The project team is preparing to open the site for content teams to begin initial content entry the week of March 5. We will provide more details to content team leaders via email.
This week we will focus on back-end usability fixes, other programming and basic design, and creating basic training materials for content teams.
Content team leaders: As we approach the initial content entry phase, we’d like to check in on how you’re doing. Please review the content team checklist in last week’s blog post, and then take 10 seconds to respond to this 1-question survey.
Revised FAQ: We’ve revised the following FAQ based on progress OSU has made on the new OSU calendar system: How will events work in the new system? Will they integrate with OSU’s calendar?
Thank you to the four individuals who helped with back-end usability testing last week: Rita Bauer (Outdoor School content team), Adriene Koett-Cronn (Sea Grant content team), and Sandy Reichhuber and Chris Branam (both of EESC).
This testing involved asking each of these four brave souls–who had not previously seen the inner workings of our new website–to complete a variety of content entry tasks. They attempted to edit content, add content, update landing pages, add announcements, and more. And they talked out loud while doing it so we could follow their thought process. We watched.
It sounds awkward and little creepy, right? But it’s actually incredibly helpful.
Their fresh eyes and perspectives helped us identify improvements to make the back-end content content management forms and views more intuitive, less frustrating or confusing, and quicker.
This week the project team will focus on preparing to open the site for content entry. This includes:
Here’s a quick update on what’s happening in the next two weeks, plus a checklist for content teams.
Content teams are continuing to work together with colleagues statewide to organize content in preparation for initial content entry. We know several teams are in a holding pattern, having done as much organization and planning as possible until being able to see actual content in context in the new website. Here is a quick checklist for content teams.
Signs your team is ready for initial content entry
You have:
If you have a question about specific content that you own or manage and haven’t yet had a conversation with the relevant content team, now’s the time!
Last week, Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed six more weeks of winter. But we took little note of the pomp and circumstance surrounding our mammal friend in the Northeast. Being the industrious Beavers that we are, the project team was hard at work getting the new website ready for content entry. And our fellow content teams are continuing to work together with colleagues statewide to organize content in preparation for that.
But in the spirit of looking ahead, let’s pause for a quick update on what the next six(ish) weeks look like for this project and our work together.
As always, let us know what questions you have (and check the FAQs!).
It’s been another busy and productive week in Extension website land. The project team has hunkered down to work on getting the back end of our new website ready for content teams to begin entering content. We’re on track for having that ready in early February. Whoo-hoo!
But enough about us…
A shout out to our content teams who are working hard to evaluate, prioritize, and organize content. Teams are making good progress and making decisions, which is sometimes difficult but very important. This is hard work that takes time. But it’s so worth it. Thank you.
Each content team is approaching things differently, which is OK. We can also learn from each other in this process. Here are some things we’ve seen or heard are working well that your team may want to consider.
Facilitating meetings and answering questions for content teams and others across the organization (plus, developing our new site) is keeping us busy, and we are working hard to keep up with all of you!
The recording of our January 18 webinar is available. This webinar included discussion, feedback, and Q&A focused on the following outcomes for office managers and county leaders:
As a result of the latest webinar and other questions we are fielding, we’ve added and revised the following FAQs.
New
Revised
We made it to Friday! (Or, as one of my friends calls it, Fri”yay”!)
It’s been a busy, productive, and exciting week in terms of Extension website work, for our team and for many of you. Here are a few highlights and a reminder of the next webinar opportunity.
We hosted the second content planning kickoff webinar for Ag & Natural Resources Extension work groups (content teams) on Jan. 11. We planned to record that webinar. Unfortunately, I (Jennifer) messed up, and that didn’t happen. I am sorry.
Fortunately, the content presented was essentially same as the Jan. 3 webinar. The Jan. 11 Q&A was different, of course, and as a result we’ve added more FAQs.
Here are the new FAQs added this week:
And as a helpful reminder, here are some oldies-but-goodies:
We’re thrilled to share that the content strategist position is posted. Please share with your networks to help us recruit an awesome new colleague.
The Content Strategist is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating a content strategy focused on enhancing engagement with learners and increasing awareness of the value, relevance, and impact of the OSU Extension Service (OSU Extension). Day to day, the person in this position collaborates with EESC colleagues and program/topic-based content teams to plan and manage content and associated processes for OSU Extension’s online presence.
We are hosting an informational webinar for county leaders and office managers on Thursday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m. (WebEx link).
I promise to remember to hit “record” this time!
The recording of the Jan. 3, 2018 content planning kickoff webinar for Ag & Natural Resources Extension work groups is now available. A second webinar opportunity (same information) is available on Jan. 11, 9 a.m (WebEx link). This information is also posted on the content teams page for reference.
Thank you for your engagement and participation. As a result of the Q&A during the webinar, we have added a few new FAQs to this project website, including: