Passionate Users Inspire Greatness

September 4th, 2007

One week has passed since we launched the new ND.edu website. It seems to me that the effect we’ve had on the community is polarizing. That is, based on the feedback alone, people either really, really love the new site or they really, really hate it. I’m sure plenty of people are in the middle, but that population is not likely to respond to feedback requests.

So, as the lead on the project, what are my thoughts? How have I reacted to the feedback from this passionate, intelligent, articulate, and motivated community?

I have enjoyed every minute.

We moved the needle.

I am proud of the ND.edu community for many reasons. First, even those that give the most critical, judgmental, and cutting responses do so because they care. Those who praise the site have equal (if not more) passion for how the University represents itself online than do the critics. Everyone has a personal impression of Notre Dame – emotion is high – people care deeply for this place. How can I get rattled if feedback is based on a passion for this place?

Second, the community understands that this huge leap forward was necessary. The biggest change has been the focus (at least on the homepage) to video and immersive experiences. There appears to be a generational gap between those who like this feature and those that do not. But, this is not always the norm. Fundamentally, we designed the homepage to feature the video experience for those who wish to interact with it. And for those daily visitors that do not want this interface, they can easily go around it. Even those people that believe they do not want video on the homepage are giving it a chance. Statistics prove that page durations and video streams are sky-high. It is quite an adjustment from the previous site, and most users are getting used to this new style of communication. It is a three-dimensional site now.

To prove this point, last Friday we utilized the video carousel’s full power. We created a space on the carousel for the new “Fighting Disease in Haiti” video piece that also played during half-time of the football game versus Georgia Tech. The response has been very positive – the video itself is compelling, emotional, and intensely Notre Dame.

I wonder: with such a powerful message to share to the community (and the world), how would we have done this before the new ND.edu?

Love it or hate it, we’ve created a new style of communication for ND.edu. I am pleased that we’ve made an impact and started a discussion about how our University deals with innovation, technology, and the future of communication. I would have been seriously disappointed if our launch had no impact on the community. I now believe that polarized, passionate users inspire greatness.

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