CLARION, Pa.(EYT) – Clarion University’s website has won a Silver Stevie Award for Best Homepage/Welcome Page.
The award was given Monday, June 22, at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel. The 13th annual American Business Awards – “The Stevies” – names gold, silver and bronze award winners in a variety of categories.
Clarion University’s website was redesigned last year in order to reflect the university’s new brand: Courageous. Confident. Clarion.
The website redesign took approximately nine months to complete and features a mobile-first design, user-friendly navigation, a variety of databases and a reorganized home/welcome page (which is what won the Stevie). The homepage/welcome page features a rotating carousel of story tiles and a spot for university videos, both of which are updated on a regular basis.
The branding and website projects also involved a close partnership with the Pittsburgh-based marketing and consulting firm Mind Over Media. Mind Over Media worked closely with Clarion University’s content management system provider, OmniUpdate, as well as the university’s web team and Computing Services to develop the new website. In addition, every organization and department on campus provided support as needed to help the new website become a reality.
“I require two things from the web team – that they work hard and be selfless,” said Clarion University Web Designer/Developer Jason Strohm. Strohm said the entire university community also followed suit with that philosophy.
Members of the web team during the project included Strohm, assistant web designer Jacqueline Cozma (a former Clarion University employee), web content writer Amy Wozniak and support staff Angela Minich.
Jim Geiger, vice President for University Advancement, accepted the award on behalf of the university.
“This award is evidence that the Clarion team is doing nationally recognized, best-in-class work,” Geiger said.
The university was second to Sony’s Playstation.Blog, which took home the gold Stevie Award. Geiger said he doesn’t feel bad coming in second to Sony.
“We’re doing work as good as any ad agency or corporate working team in the country.”
The Finalists in the category with Clarion University included Accenture, Chicago, Il.; Cisco Systems, Inc., Research Triangle Park, N.C.; Citizens Business Bank, Ontario, Canada; Optomi, Roswell, Ga.; Oswego CUSD 308, Oswego, Il.; and Sony Computer Entertainment America Playstation.Blog, Foster City, Calif. The other finalists in the category with Sony and Clarion University received bronze Stevie Awards.
According to the American Business Awards website, the Stevie Awards ceremony honored winners in categories for customer service, human resources, information technology, websites, corporate communications, live events, marketing, publications, videos, and selected categories for company/organization, and management. Another award ceremony will take place in September and will feature another set of winners in additional categories.
“The American Business Awards honor an all-inclusive spectrum of American business people and organizations — from non-profits, emerging start-ups, major public companies and government agencies, to corner-office executives, corporate communicators, support staff and customer service teams,” the website stated.
