Company:

University of Cumbria

Title:

Assistant Web Developer

Duration:

April 2021 – September 2022

Skills:

• Project management
• Web design
• Copy writing
• Market research

Projects:

• Locations Hub
• International Students Hub
• Research Hub
• Postgraduate Study
• Undergraduate Course Pages
• Conferences
• Academic Institutes
• Student Finance
• Events
• Student Union
• Parent & Carers
• Alumni Hub
• EDI Hub

Description:

In April 2021, I joined the University of Cumbria as a Marketing and Recruitment Assistant within the Digital & Web Team. In this time, I have been integral in the redevelopment of several key areas across the website, leading to a promotion into Web Development to continue improving functionality and styling in new areas.

My responsibilities included:

Conducting research into web design practices, accessibility, a higher education. My research is informed by the needs of the team and service behind each project and forms a fun foundation for understanding wider industry practices.

Using tools like balsamique to wireframe potential designs. Like creating a digital sketch, this is the stage where I experiment with styling, colour, and begin exploring the words and images that will go on the page.

Developing new areas via the CMS, Terminal Four, exploring functionality and design options within the perimeters of the platform. Here, I work closely with our web developer to explore new and easier ways to display and manage content on the website, easing processes for those not so familiar with website management and improving the customer experience.

Redeveloping areas of the website to be in line with new university branding. This involves liaising with content officers and teams across the wider university to align goals, design needs, and audience expectations. A major collaborative part of each project, we explore how the university’s general branding can be adapted to suit new campaigns, making their areas standout on the web.

Monitoring of a web service desk. A dedicated space for staff across the university to request changes to the external website.

Training fellow colleagues when new functionality and processes are added to the website. 1:1 training and writing best practice guides. This is currently an area undergoing expansion that will see the development of regular training for a dedicated content editors group.

Returning to the University of Cumbria as a staff member after graduating in 2019 is a surreal experience. However, I am marketing something I can truly get behind – it’s an amazing experience.