Welcome to the new website of the University of Eastern Finland! We have renewed the layout and improved the usability and accessibility of the website to better cater to the needs of different user groups. These instructions will help you to navigate on the new uef.fi website.
- Text Risto Löf | Photo Varpu Heiskanen | Video Bettiina Lievonen and Kimmo Salvén
The University of Eastern Finland’s website at uef.fi will be renewed in the course of 2020. The first ones to get a new layout are the main sections of the website: the home page and the pages dedicated to news and events, studying, research, collaboration and university presentation.
The project will move forward in phases. The websites of the faculties and units will be moved to the new uef.fi website next summer. The websites of the UEF Library and the Centre for Training and Development, Aducate, will be renewed in autumn 2020.
The university’s website redesign project is being carried out in collaboration with Exove, and the new uef.fi website will be built on the Drupal platform.
A comprehensive renewal of the university’s website is a significant step in the development of the university’s online services.
“In the future, publicly available, interconnected online services will be developed as one entity. Each service will have its own, increasingly distinctive role, as well as a defined target audience. The new website is aimed at external users, and we seek to provide a modern and user-friendly selection of services that are easy to use," Digital Services Producer Katja Mielonen says.
In the future, publicly available, interconnected online services will be developed as one entity. Each service will have its own, increasingly distinctive role, as well as a defined target audience.
Katja Mielonen
Digital Services Producer
How does that main menu work and how do I navigate on the website?
The layout and usability of the website are now modern, catering to the needs of mobile users in particular. Today, more than 50% of visitors on the uef.fi website browse the pages on a mobile device, and their share will also grow in the future. This is why ensuring the website’s usability on mobile devices has played a key role when redesigning the website.
Key navigation functions on the new uef.fi website can be found in the menu bar on the top section of the website. The main menu – also known as a hamburger menu – will guide users to the main sections of the website and to their sub-sections, and it also features key shortcuts for visitors, media, alumni, staff and students. The university’s contact information can also be found in the main menu.
The website is available in Finnish and in English, and a brief introduction to the university is also available in Russian. The language selection can be found next to the main menu.
The redesign of the website is also reflected on the university’s current content. In addition to regular news articles, we will also produce extensive feature articles that shed light on interesting topics in research and showcase science to the public. These news and feature articles, as well as the university’s events, can be found on the News and Events page. A link to this page can be found by clicking on the i! symbol in the menu bar.
A good search function is essential for finding what you are looking for. You can open the search function by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the menu bar. In the first release phase, the search function is targeted at contact details.
You can always return to the home page by clicking on the university’s logo.
How do we serve different groups of users?
The new uef.fi website is increasingly well designed to cater to the needs of different groups of users. In the website structure, this can be seen as clear, thematic sections. For instance, the home page has sections for studying, research, societal impact and university presentation. The English-language website also takes the needs of international audiences into consideration.
The Finnish-language page dedicated to studies, and its English-language counterpart, Study at UEF, are primarily aimed at prospective students who are looking for information on the university’s study opportunities, such as degree programmes, Master’s degree programmes, doctoral education and opportunities for continuous learning. The website also offers glimpses into everyday student life, the university’s learning environments, and services aimed at students.
The website dedicated to research, on the other hand, features information on the university’s research activities, research communities and research environments, as well as research-related news. This website is aimed at the public interested in scientific research, as well as at the academic community and the university’s partners.
The website dedicated to collaboration features information on the university’s services and partnerships aimed at companies, communities and other educational institutions. On this website, you can also find information on the university’s international networks, regional impact, services for alumni, and facilities available for rent.
The website dedicated to presenting the university, on the other hand, provides general information on the University of Eastern Finland, its organisation and campuses. This website also offers guidance to visitors, and it serves the needs of the media and people looking to work at the university.
What does accessibility mean?
The design and implementation of the new uef.fi website take the accessibility requirements set for digital services into consideration.
The accessibility requirements have guided the design of the website’s layout and usability, as well as the production of content in terms of text and images.
We welcome all feedback on the website, including its accessibility and functionality, to viestinta@uef.fi.
