Blog 7

http://dentistry.umc.edu/index.html

To: Web Development and Support Group
Subject: The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry Website

Dear UMMC School of Dentistry Webmaster,

The School of Dentistry website is so easy to navigate and provides good information in a simple fashion. This saves so much time since the different parts of the site are clearly found at the home page as well as on other pages throughout the site.

Even though the pages are simple, they provide enough graphic elements to keep the reader’s attention on the page and not take away from the text. Occasional photographs and consistent blue coloring bring the site together and help it maintain uniformity – you know what site you are on. The blue brings a peaceful and comfortable feeling to the site making it more personable. Making prospective patients and students feel at ease will likely make the school more appealing and memorable. The home page and patient pages show that the school really does care, and that it is a place any one can count on for a good dental experience. Student pages give the impression that it is an encouraging educational environment and furthers the students’ magnetism toward the school. Faculty pages are fairly cut and dry telling who the faculty member is and what they do in the school. The site provides the information that allows the user to have qualified expectations of UMMC’s School of Dentistry.

The home page provides links for different people such as faculty and staff at the school, current or prospective students, patients, and even those wanting to make a contribution to the school. There is a very orderly flow from each link on the homepage. Each link takes you to new pages that have even more detailed links associated with the original subject page. Little searching is required, which saves time and frustration.
Those using the website are not looking for entertainment or detailed visuals, we are searching for information. Doctors, patients, and students do not want to have to sort through “fluff” to find facts, figures, and other resources. Information is clearly marked and fulfills the demands of the reader. I have had no issues finding what I needed on the website. The home page is easily returned to from any of the pages deeper within the site making navigation a breeze.

While the majority of the website is functional and appropriate for users, the application portion does not live up to the rest of the site. Unfortunately, it often logs out of the application after saving, forcing the applicant to login over and over while filling out different sections. Another issue I have encountered was that attached documents do not show up, even after submission. Applicants then must contact the school to find out if the submission was successful. Advisors and recommendation letter writers also have frequent mishaps with submission of letters. It seems to be intermittent, but no time for an application site to fail is a good time. As you would imagine this is fairly frustrating, and gives users a negative feeling toward the institution. The website is a direct representation of the School of Dentistry and the problems associated with the application pages reflects the functioning of the school itself. Since this is the only real functional issue with the website, it is easily forgiven, but not forgotten by users.

If the application pages were corrected, then there could be no complaints about your well put together site. I appreciate the time and effort you put into to making this site easy to navigate and full of useful information.


Sincerely,
Arielle Spivey