If you have a question about the website redesign, please browse these FAQs before contacting your Faculty Web Officer, as your question may be addressed below.
Updated on 30 September 2024
How do I find out more about the redesign to the website?
Please view the Web redesign: overview of key changes and new content types online guidance which was released on 9 September. This goes through all the key changes that were made.
When will the new content types be made available?
We are currently working on training and guidance materials for the new content types which will include step-by-step instructions and guidance on how to use them in the most effective way. Each content type will be released as the guidance is produced.
Look out for announcements in the Website Editor Community Teams.
Will all new content types be available to me as an editor?
Many of the new content types will be available for all editors, but some will be restricted to Faculty Web Officers. For these content types you would need to contact your Faculty Web Officer, who will help you set up this content type.
Will training be compulsory for the new content types?
No, but we recommend looking at the new guidance if you intend to use the new content types.
When will the course for new editors be available?
We are aiming to update this by Monday 7 October and your Faculty Web Officer will contact any people who are on the waiting list for training.
Why is my sidebar content now appearing at the bottom of the page?
User feedback suggested that the sidebar was a potentially limiting feature of the old design, as it was mandatory on standard pages.
In the new web design, the sidebar feature has been removed from standard content pages, affording more space for content on pages using the new 'Standard page' layout. New sidebars will not be able to be created and are not compatible with the new design.
Any content that you had previously accommodated in a sidebar will not just disappear, nor will it get deleted. It will instead get automatically appended to the end of the page.
Read more in lesson 6 of the Web redesign: overview of key changes and new content types online course.
The sidebar will continue to show on landing pages that were using the landing page with sidebar layout, but this layout will be phased out in the future so that all landing pages will use the new landing page layout.
Why do some pages not have an ’In this section’ box on the right?
An automatic ‘In this section’ menu will display at the top right of standard pages in instances where they have visible child pages/subsections. Links to all the child pages will automatically display in this box.
On standard pages that don’t have visible child sections, the ‘In this section’ box will not display at all.
Note: the ‘In this section’ box only shows on standard pages – not on the home page or landing page layout.
Can I add any other content at the top right of a standard page if there isn’t an ‘In this section’ box?
No – the top right area of a standard page is reserved for the ‘In this section’ feature only. There is not an option to add other content into this area for now, even if the ‘In this section’ box is not displayed.
Now that the navigation menu is not shown on the screen, how can I add the links to sub-pages on my landing pages, so that people don't miss key sections?
It is always recommended to link to key pages, such as sub pages from the main page content, rather than rely on visitors navigating menus. In page links are the most popular way that website visitors will navigate within your sections. This is particularly the case with mobile users.
You can use a variety of different content types for this, such as flexible content blocks. A good example of this approach can be found on the Alumni landing page.
Please contact your Faculty Web Officer if you need further advice.
Are there any more colour themes available on the new website?
No - custom theme functionality has been removed in the new website. Instead, content types have been designed mostly with non-selectable, pre-specified colours chosen by the Design team to match the new brand palette. Some content types will have light/dark variations that can be selected by the editor via a checkbox.
Other project FAQs
- How will the outputs of the Imperial brand project align with the website redesign project?
- Will the News website be updated?
- What consideration is given to user journeys across the college’s digital landscape, i.e. not only on the website but between wider online services?
- How will sustainability be integrated into the website redesign project?
The Brand design work is a key dependency for the Website and Brand projects. All teams involved will collaborate closely to ensure that the key deliverables will work well for both print and digital use (with a focus on mobile first design) and be fully compliant with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.
We would like to update the news website, ideally moving the site into T4 CMS. This will be scoped out and assessed as part of the Discovery and Consultation phase and a decision made at that point whether to proceed with this idea.
The Imperial website is a central point for audeinces to reach the wider landscape of digital platforms used across Imperial. As part of the project, we will be looking at this digital landscape and working to understand and improve key journeys and access points to these online serives. We will be working closely with ICT and other teams to audit and understnand these tools.
We will be working to integrate sustainable objecives into the website redesign project. Some key areas the will help improve the sustainability of the website will be reducing content, speeding up pages and improving audience journeys, reducing the energy required to serve the website. We will be working closely with ICT to align the website redesign with the wider sustainability strategy.