Newsletter

Easy / Model Sites / Newsletter — Comments Off on CEERES eBulletin
02
Oct 09

CEERES eBulletin

CEERES eBulletin. An online eBulletin from University of Chicago’s Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies (CEERES).

Design Notes:

The CEEREs eBulletin (created using the WordPress Panorama theme) is in many aspects a classic blog with all of the significant content as individual posts with information on events, grant opportunities, conferences etc. Structuring the site in this way allows one to attach content tags and post categories to each posted item (thus making the content browsable by these terms).  A list of current tags and categories are displayed in the site’s sidebar using the Category and Tag widgets.

CEERESbulletin

Complicated / Model Sites / Newsletter — Comments Off on Goodspeed Notes
08
Jun 09

Goodspeed Notes

Goodspeed Notes is the online newsletter of the Department of Music.

Design Notes:

The Goodspeed Notes site (like the Adpatation, OPC and DOVAtemp sites) is unusual in that it is built around a heavily customized WordPress theme created exclusively for this purpose. This theme is thus not directly available for us by other groups (please contact us if you would nonetheless like to ask the designer for permission to re-use the theme for your own site). The site’s layout was inspired by so-called “magazine” style WordPress themes. Several of these (such as a Arras, deStyle or Magzeen) are currently in testing by Humanities Computing. Please contact us if you are interested in this style of layout for your site.

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Mobile / Model Sites / Newsletter / Still Easy — Comments Off on News from the Division of the Humanities
15
Nov 07

News from the Division of the Humanities

Welcome to the Division of the Humanities news page, your place for news, multimedia, and feature stories about the Division.

Design Notes:

The Humanities news page is intended to be both a source of news from and about the division (in the style of a blog or newsletter) as well as an online resource for members of the press. The site makes heavy use of post categories and tags and then re-uses these to create dynamic page content. So, for example, while the e.g. Faculty Publications and For the Press pages are static, the theme is also able to automatically create a menu bar based on categories such as Press Releases and Articles. The site’s sidebars are also a little more sophisticated than those offered by most themes because they include both a large “About” section at the top and two, parallel sidebars underneath. Each sidebar can be populated with its own set of widgets (including an RSS widget, as used  here, which in this case is drawing its content from the Humanities Division’s main events calendar). In sum, the site may appear complex, but the steps need to produce this effect are simple to understand and reproduce.

News from the Division also employs the Carrington Mobile Theme to offer up a special, simplified version of the site for mobile visitors with smaller screens. A screenshot of the site as seen on an iPhone for example is included below. A sample of the themes available for use with mobile devices can be viewed on the supported WordPress theme page on our wiki. Any WordPress based site can make use of custom theme support by activating the appropriate plugin.

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Model Sites / Newsletter / Still Easy — Comments Off on MAPHtastic
02
Aug 07

MAPHtastic

The MAPH blog is a source of information and a forum for annoucements and events of interest to current students in the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities at the University of Chicago. It is edited by the MAPH staff and Program Mentors.

Design Notes:

The MAPH newsletter runs on the Carrington WordPress theme and takes its design cues from the Humanities News site. A sister version of the site (AfterMAPH) is directed primarily at MAPH alumni. I’ve listed it here since it is one of the few WordPress sites hosted by the division that are structured by and large exactly like a traditional blog. If you’re interested in other words in creating a newsletter for your department or group you may want to instead think about structuring it along the lines of a blog instead of trying to emulate the look and feel of a printed publication. Please note also the extensive use of category based menus (categories are subject tags associated with individual posts). This is a quick and easy way to add extra navigation and search (browse) options to a site.

maph

Department / Easy / Mobile / Model Sites / Newsletter — Comments Off on All Things Visual
27
Mar 07

All Things Visual

All Things Visual is the website and blog of the The Visual Resources Center (VRC) in the University of Chicago’s Department of Art History.

Design Notes:

The VRC’s All Things Visual site makes use of the NigaRila WordPress theme. Unlike most sites that use this theme here the default horizontal menu has been left in place. Instead, much of the space in the two parallel sidebars on the theme have set aside for RSS feeds from associated blogs, online calendars and websites. In addition the site’s home page has been switched from holding individual posts to being a static page with general information about the VRC. Posts have been set to appear on a separate News page. Here, individual posts are associated with subject tags. A tag cloud sidebar widget then makes use of this to show the relative distribution of posts across various topics.

All Things Visual also employs the WordPress Mobile Pack plugin to offer up specials, simplified versions of the site for mobile visitors with smaller screens. A screenshot of the site as seen on an iPhone for example is included below. A sample of the themes available for use with mobile devices can be viewed on the supported WordPress theme page on our wiki. Any WordPress based site can make use of custom theme support by activating the appropriate plugin.

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