Specifications include, but are not limited to: Phase 1: Discovery and Design Strategy Phase 1 will consist of listening sessions and focus groups with key constituent groups including NCCU administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, prospective students, donors and friends (i.e. corporate partners), members of the community (as identified by NCCU). In addition to listening sessions, the company would do an assessment and evaluation of NCCU current website, providing recommendations on pages that could transfer over to the new site. Discover (Discussions and meetings with groups noted above both in-person and virtually) Audit of Current Website Understanding NCCU’s Brand, Consumer, Competition o Input will be provided from NCCU’s branding assessment Collaborative Work Session(s) Strategic Development Deliverables for this phase will incorporate and include: 5.1.1 Spend time understanding the NCCU brand, including analysis of current data about the demand and usage of the NCCU website, the competitive landscape particular to NCCU, and especially feedback from key stakeholders. 5.1.2 Interview in person or through survey key stakeholders across campus as well as external audiences to distill a common theme for and functionality of the new website – what the stakeholders need/want in a new website. 5.1.3 Deliver a web communication strategy that outlines institutional messaging for the website in coordination with new, revised and existing communications & branding materials (recruitment collaterals, etc.) and efforts identifying target audiences for such messages, and indicating how the web presence will help achieve these communication goals. 5.1.4 Provide a project management strategy document that addresses such items as development of dynamic features, inclusions of third-party solutions, and integration/migration of content. 5.1.5 Deliver a comprehensive plan for new site information architecture including site map and navigation, message architecture, and experience maps, showing how content will be structured, categorized and accessed. 5.1.6 Provide a comprehensive content strategy that addresses the following crucial areas: 5.1.6.1 Make recommendations for the criteria to select a robust content management system (CMS) based on WordPress and LAMP technologies, that is responsive to the specific needs of the University. 5.1.6.2 An interactive campus map that will work with the current NCCU web infrastructure (currently using Google Maps overlay) 5.1.6.3 Site Search optimization features 5.1.6.4 Provide recommendations for news, directory, events and form or application development. 5.1.7 Develop a comprehensive content strategy that addresses the following areas: 5.1.7.1 Strategy and timeline for assisting the University in the review of existing content based on best practices and page inventory review to prepare the new/edited content for migration to the new website. Vendor may propose a subset of pages in order to meet timeline, but must provide strategy for completion with on-campus resources. 5.1.7.2 Recommendations for rules and/or regulations for new page requests, on-going workflow, approvers and approval process for publishing and updating dynamic web content. 5.1.7.3 A vendor staffing plan and recommended University staffing plan that includes a work timeline and the human resource needs to prepare content for migration to the new website and address maintenance of the website post launch, in light of technological advances and trends in communications. Phase 2: Creative 5.2. Deliverables for this phase will incorporate the discovery and strategy phase findings into the creative development/visual elements of the new website design, including: 5.2.1. Wireframing: interface elements and the navigation system of the design. The interrelationship between the top tier and secondary pages will be a key element. Top-tier pages will most likely be the site home page, Colleges/School main pages, Campus life, Enrollment Management and Giving pages but should be based on vendor findings and recommendations during discovery and strategy phase. 5.2.2. Three (3) versions of top-tier page mockups and ten to fifteen (10-15) templates, utilizing existing content, art, photography, and video. All designs and templates need to have adequate flexibility to address a variety of needs, be easily updated and maintained, and retain a sense of a unified brand and organization. All designs should take into account site speed as a highly important consideration. 5.2.3. Conducting usability testing with stakeholders and end-users, the results of which will be used to redesign architecture and designs. 5.2.4. Implement the content development/copywriting strategy, including collaboration with campus constituencies to begin review, edit and re-crafting of content for the new web design. 5.2.5 Implement the comprehensive content strategy related to digital assets incorporation, especially still photography, video (including streaming video), and audio (such as recorded concerts and podcasts) and how content will be assessed, cataloged, tagged and sorted in the content management system. 5.2.6. Demonstrate how responsive web design (RWB) will provide an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices. 5.2.7. Provide technical style guide for created design and templates, including but not limited to: CSS and JavaScript documentation as applicable, font sizes and style, and colors. 5.2.8. Create HTML/CSS static web pages for top tier pages to demonstrate progress before embarking on the build.
