• What design resources are available for creating a new website? Or redesigning my current website?

    Although LMU Marketing and Communications does provide technical services and support for the content management system, our staff is also comprised of creative, writing and marketing professionals. We maintain internally staffed graphic designers, the University photographer and videographer, a writing staff and a network of external designers and consultants to meet the needs of your project.

    Our digital production managers are constituent-based, which means that there is a web manager that is assigned to each college/school and division. This web manager provides the guidance, services and best-practices needed to bring your ideas to life.

  • I am already familiar with the design/creative process and know what I’d like to do. Should I contact Marketing and Communications when I’m ready to publish?

    No. There are many considerations that go into launching a successful website. Although you may already have something specific in mind, it is critical that you engage your digital production manager from the very beginning. The University has specific guidelines regarding its visual identity standards and how a web design integrates with our content management system. Our team is trained to guide you through the process quickly and efficiently. We’re ready to lend a helping hand, so call us when you have your initial idea and we’ll help you through the next steps.

  • What are my design options?

    The University has established a Public Web Standards Policy, which can be found on our Policies page. Approximately 90% of the university areas fall into the University Design Schema, a set of design templates that provide the look and feel for LMU.edu and departmental websites. The University refreshes these designs every 14-30 months. For the vast majority of departments, the design templates determine the headers, footers and style of the design.

    Other areas in the University, such as admissions, alumni relations and the schools/colleges, have been identified as strategic external relations areas. These areas have customized designs that are aimed at reaching their target audiences in order to promote its recruitment, fundraising and marketing efforts.

    In both cases, the designs are produced from a partnership established by LMU Marketing and Communications and the area publishing the website. Marketing and Communications provides its internal creative talent and its preferred list of external designers in order to produce design options best-suited for the University and the target area.

  • May I see examples of your work?

  • If my website was NOT identified as having its “own” design, am I stuck with the University design?

    Previously, the University’s web environment was uncoordinated, disorganized and inconsistent. Significant efforts were made to form a centralized office, a content management system and university-wide policies to address these issues. Although the university design templates may appear somewhat “cookie-cutter” at first glance, there is significant room for customization in the body portions of every web page. The intent is to promote the University brand while balancing a department’s need to differentiate its services and resources through the customization of body text, photography and audio/video. Therefore, the University’s design templates determine the header, navigation bar and footer of the University’s web pages.

    LMU Marketing and Communications will assist you with exploring customization options by focusing on the content, imagery and other new media aspects of your site.