The Department of Asian Languages & Literature will be the next to adopt the Department Web Framework.  We look forward to working with them to redesign their site!

The theme that defines the appearance of the department websites has been rewritten as a responsive design.  This means that the design adjusts according to the width of the screen that the person is using, so the site offers optimal readability on everything from smart phones to tablets to desktop monitors.  We were mobile-friendly before, but now we're even mobile-friendlier!  All department sites moving forward will feature responsive designs.

 Check out the responsive theme on your favorite device (and feedback is always welcome):

The Department of Germanics has launched its new website close on the heels of Classics.  It too is based upon the design created for French & Italian Studies, but with different color scheme and front page layout.  See the site yourself at http://germanics.washington.edu.

The Department of Classics has a new website based on the Department Web Framework.  You'll notice the design has many similiarities with the French & Italian Studies site, but we made some customizations to meet the needs of Classics, including a different front page layout.  The main navigation categories are the same so that users (especially students!) will have an easier time finding things as they move between departments.  Take a few minutes to check it out at classics.washington.edu.

We are pleased to announce that Scandinavian Studies has also decided to adopt the Department Web Framework (formerly Humanities Web Framework).  We will be working with them throughout the summer and aim to launch their redesigned site at the beginning of fall quarter 2012.

We've established a new email address to receive support requests related to the Department Web Framework: asweb@uw.edu (Arts & Sciences Web Framework Team).  You can also report questions or problems through our shiny new contact form.  Both the email address and the form will route your message through Request Tracker, so we can better log and manage incoming tasks.

The first website built with the Humanities Web Framework is live and open to the public!  Visit the new French & Italian Studies site at http://frenchitalian.washington.edu .  The faculty and staff from the French & Italian Studies department were gracious pilots for this project, as we hammered through many questions for the first time.  Some of the features on the new site are profiles that can be edited by faculty and grad students, detailed course listings imported from the UW Time Schedule, and a fresh look consistent with the

The next two departments to move their websites into the Humanities Web Framework will be Classics and Germanics.  Discussions about how to customize the design and adapt the tools to their needs are underway.

We are pleased to announce that the Division of French and Italian Studies will be the pilot for the Humanities Web Framework.  We will work with them during the fall quarter while developing the new framework, with the goal of launching their newly redesigned site in January 2012.  Other Humanities departments have been informed about when they are likely move into the new framework.  If you want an update on the timeline, please contact Heather Wozniak.

We are forming a small committee to provide feedback as the web framework project progresses. See the formal announcement below (or follow the "Read more" link).