Why Work with WDS?
WDS has a full-service team of experts who are passionate about making great websites. We provide a comprehensive set of services including website design, development, project management, information architecture, and technical support.
Service Tiers
Tier 1: No Cost (self-service)
WDS provides you with a framework for a content-ready site, using an existing design template. See the demonstration website and theme options. You may access various support options including documentation and instructor-led training, as well as basic support via email and Zoom.
Cost: Free - get started today.
Tier 2: Low Cost
WDS offers content strategy, design, and development services to further enhance your website. Simple design changes such as the addition of photography, unique layouts, or the creative use of colors can individualize your site for a very reasonable fee.
Cost: Varies
Tier 3: Full Project
WDS works with you from start to finish. You'll collaborate with a WDS project team on many aspects of the website including information architecture, design, development, and usability testing. Costs vary depending on the level of complexity of your site's needs. Our rates start at $125/hour. As with all our sites, technical support, and hosting are provided free of charge.
Cost: Starts at $5K
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Project Management
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Keeping projects on time, on track, and within budget is a big deal. WDS project managers work with stakeholders and teams in each stage of the process, from discovery to completion.
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Content Strategy
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Planning your website's content is an important step in our web development process. WDS content strategists will conduct an inventory and audit of your content, help you understand your audience, work closely with you on your site's information architecture, identify content structures, and can also assist with content migrations.
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Web Design & Theming
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Our web designers are both front end themers and user experience designers, so they know how to visualize your design ideas and approach your design from a user-first perspective. Web Designers create wireframes, mockups and code sites to deliver a modern website that looks great on all devices, has good user experience and is accessible.
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Web Development
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Our web developers can customize and extend our Drupal platform to meet your specific needs and the processes you have in place. Web Developers build custom content types, views, and workflows that will support comprehensive content structures and that are accessible, usable and secure.
Additional Services
Routine Content Updates
WDS can contract with you on a monthly basis to:
- Add / remove content on existing webpages.
- Place the content in relevant layouts and blocks, assign taxonomy terms, etc.
- Add /remove pages and menu items.
- Recommend and make basic visual and layout enhancements to support content and user experience
The content is provided by you and can include text, images, and videos.
Monthly editing packages start at a minimum of 5 hours per month.
User Research & Usability Testing
Knowing exactly what your users need is essential for creating a successful website. Our content strategist will help you understand your audiences through user research and usability testing.
In partnership with the User Experience Office, we will help you create user profiles, surveys, and questionnaires, test your information architecture and wireframes, and report user research findings into clear recommendations.
Drupal Vendor Consulting
WDS can work with you as an internal resource to provide guidance and technical advice if you are planning to hire an external vendor for a website project. See details in the Service Portal.
Training & Support
In addition to our free training and support, WDS can provide customized training for you and your team for a fee.
Our Process
No matter what kind of site you need, WDS is here to help guide you step by step.
1. Discovery
We begin with a conversation about your needs and goals. We help you determine and refine the goals of your website and the target audience. We also give you an overview of the content management systems and available modules. We prepare a project agreement which includes a cost estimate. Once the agreement signed, your project can begin.
2. Planning
Key project stakeholders attend a working session to develop your site's Information Architecture (IA). This step serves several purposes: it lays out the primary structure of the site's content and navigation, lets us define the technical requirements, and tells you how much work is needed on your part to create the new site. We create wireframes, so you can walk through your website before the design is applied.
3. Design
Our design staff creates a design based on your needs and style preferences. This includes 'look and feel,' colors, fonts, and iconography.
4. Development and Implementation
Once you sign off on the design, we implement it into the content management system, blog system, or mobile framework. We also implement modules you have requested. If you have not already started, you can begin entering content.
5. Testing & Delivery
During this step we test in various browsers, review that the websites meet University requirements, and move the site from a development area to a live production server.
6. Maintenance and Stewardship
Once the site is live, you maintain the content, and we'll take care of the system and servers.