University Communications

Web Strategy

The web strategy team executes digital strategies that support universitywide communications initiatives. We prioritize the needs of our target audiences while guaranteeing that all website visitors, regardless of ability, have a positive user experience. 

Our work 

Our team works closely with colleagues in University Communications to plan and design front- and back-end website frameworks, implement and enhance our websites’ content management systems, and design content display for the university’s flagship website and the Hub—including Hub Events, Faculty Experts Guide, Hub at Work, Johns Hopkins Magazine, and Today’s Announcements—as well as related email templates. We developed the Hub’s API, which is used by websites across the institution to pull in data from the Hub. We are also responsible for essential digital projects that support the university’s mission, including websites for coronavirus information, public safety, and, in 2019, an end-of-year thank-you crossword. 

How we can help 

For groups taking on website projects, we provide expert leadership and direction, including: 

  • Best practices for developing smart, creative, and effective UX and UI strategies 
  • Guidance for planning, creating, and launching new websites and large-scale website redesigns  
  • Steps to adhere to university brand guidelines and accessibility compliance 
  • Access to the Hub’s API and guidance regarding its use 
  • URL approvals for new websites within the JHU.edu domain 
  • Methods for developing effective content strategies that connect website goals to target audiences 
  • Assistance with understanding metrics and setting up Google Analytics accounts 

Websites on JHU.edu 

Websites that are hosted in the JHU.edu ecosystem must: 

  • Comply with Johns Hopkins University brand guidelines, including the use of a logo approved by University Communications and the Office of the Provost  
  • Live within an architecture and management system that supports the website’s content strategy
  • Meet or exceed the level of accessibility compliance set by an audit from the enterprise-approved quality assurance platform Siteimprove 
  • Clear all security scans and checks through Enterprise Web Services in IT 

Brand guidelines 

The Johns Hopkins University Visual Brand Guidelines were developed to create a shared visual brand identity that reflects the excellence of this great university. All web properties that support Johns Hopkins University and live within the JHU.edu domain must adhere to approved typography, color, and logo requirements.  

Any questions about brand identity can be directed to jhucommunications@jhu.edu. 

URL approvals 

The role of University Communications is to ensure that URLs within the JHU.edu domain are aligned with the university’s identity and URL guidelines and that they are appropriately labeled based on the content of the website or application. This includes limiting top-level subdomains (i.e., subdomain.jhu.edu) to universitywide or interdivisional entities and initiatives. All other websites must be included within the parent entity’s web framework.  

Please contact your division’s or department’s marketing and communications team for further instruction if your content is not approved for a top-level JHU.edu subdomain. 

To submit a request for a top-level URL within the JHU.edu domain (i.e., subdomain.jhu.edu), visit the DDI request form. 

Accessibility compliance 

The university requires all websites to conform to the international standard known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA. This standard has been widely adopted around the world and is the basis for the 2018 refresh of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

The university has procured a tool that audits websites and rates them for accessibility according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 standard. This tool, called Siteimprove, rates websites on a scale from 0 to 100 based on the conformance of the code and content of the site. The university requires that all websites hosted on JHU.edu maintain a minimum score of 70 on a Siteimprove audit. 

To gain access to Siteimprove and receive an audit of your website, email webhosting@jhu.edu with the URL and JHED IDs for those who need access to the platform. For any questions related to this process, email webaccessibility@jhu.edu.

Meet the team

Lauren Custer
Director, Digital Strategy
lcuster@jhu.edu

Eric Conrad
Sr. Web Designer
eric.conrad@jhu.edu

Jen Wachter
Sr. Web Developer
jwachter@jhu.edu