YaleSites upgrade project status – Spring 2023

    June 7, 2023

    Summary

    As previously announced, Yale ITS and the Office of Public Affairs and Communication are upgrading YaleSites, Yale’s web-publishing service. This message provides the Spring 2023 update on project progress:

    • The YaleSites team is planning a soft launch of the platform in the summer of 2023. A community-wide launch is anticipated in the fall.
    • Resources and training are currently being offered to the community.
    • A continued Drupal 7 Support Plan is in place for sites that do not upgrade immediately.

    Details 

    Project Status

    Build Update

    • An exciting new feature, Layout Builder, has been implemented on the new platform. This visual design tool allows for the quick creation of layouts that display content on a website. It allows site builders and editors to:
      • Customize the arrangement of content on single pages, landing pages, and content types.
      • Use drag and drop functionality to manage blocks and content fields.
      • View layouts in preview mode as pages are designed.

    Training Update

    • June/July training options include Basic Principles of Information Architecture, Using a Content Matrix, and Interpreting Analytics and Using Data to Inform Content Auditing and Creation.
    • A list of upcoming sessions and registration links can always be found on yalesites.yale.edu.

    Community Engagement

    • A group of site builders/editors is engaged in a series of focus groups to provide feedback on the new platform.
    • User acceptance testing will be conducted in June, prior to the YaleSites soft launch.
    • The YaleSites team is planning a series of platform demo sessions over the summer.

    For more information, please visit the YaleSites Upgrade Program page. 

    Questions?

    Contact the YaleSites Team at YaleSitesUpgradeProgram@yale.edu, or visit the YaleSites FAQ page.