HighEdWeb 2017 - Unbundle Your Institution: Building a Web Ecosystem

UNBUNDLE YOUR INSTITUTIONCREATING A WEB ECOSYSTEM

INTRODUCING MYSELF

THAT’S ME!

SEMBRATERIC

ATL & GEORGIA TECH

@ESEMBRAT

WEBBEH.COM

http://webbeh.com

http://webbeh.com

LET’S TALK WEB ON CAMPUSES

OUR USERS USE THE WEB IN UNIQUE WAYS

STUDENTS

UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE

FACULTY / STAFF

STUDENTS

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS PROJECT / ASSIGNMENTS

COURSES / LMSPERSONAL / PORTFOLIO

RESEARCH INITIATIVES

& MORE

FACULTY / STAFF

UNITS / DEPARTMENTS EVENTS

ORGANIZATIONS / GROUPSPROJECTS

NEWS WORKFLOW

& MORE

WE NEED HELP BUILDING THESE PLATFORMS & SITES.

HOMEGROWN / CUSTOM USUALLY CAN’T CUT IT.

WE TURN TO:

SYSTEMS, FRAMEWORKS, & PLATFORMS TO EASE BURDEN.

WE COMMONLY GET STUCKINNOVATING AND SETTLE

WITH ONE SYSTEM.

CHANGE IS HARD.

VARIETY IS EXPENSIVE.

BUT IS GOING SOLO BAD?

YESIGNORING OTHER/BETTER TOOLS FOR A WEBSITE MAKES YOUR JOBS MORE COMPLEX AND FRAGILE

LET’S CONSIDER…

ENTER THE SCENARIO…

YOU’RE A DRUPAL CAMPUS. AND YOU WANT TO OFFER A

WEBSITE SERVICE SOLUTION.

WORDPRESS BLOG MULTI-USER INSTALLATION

DRUPAL MULTISITE BLOG INSTALLATION

5 HOURS SETUP 30 HOURS SETUP

1 HOUR MAINTENANCE 10 HOURS MAINTENANCE

1 HOUR NEW FEATURES ? HOURS NEW FEATURES

WORDPRESS BLOG MULTI-USER INSTALLATION

DRUPAL MULTISITE BLOG INSTALLATION

5 HOURS SETUP 30 HOURS SETUP

1 HOUR MAINTENANCE 10 HOURS MAINTENANCE

1 HOUR NEW FEATURES ? HOURS NEW FEATURESWHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

VS

AND

ANDWEB ECOSYSTEM 101.

DRUPALWORDPRESS

CMS LAND

STATIC GENERATORS

PLATFORMS

KALTURA

SHAREPOINT WIKIS

FORUMS

ORGSYNC

DIGITAL ASSET MGMT. LMS

ETC. INTO INFINITY

ONE OFF PROJECTS

DRUPALWORDPRESS

CMS LAND

STATIC GENERATORS

PLATFORMS

KALTURA

SHAREPOINT WIKIS

FORUMS

ORGSYNC

DIGITAL ASSET MGMT. LMS

ETC. INTO INFINITY

ONE OFF PROJECTS

WITHOUT A GUIDING HAND, CAMPUS WEB IS GOING TO

SEGMENT AND SILO UP.

AND THOSE WEB SITES WILL REBUILD RESOURCES.

FOLKS WILL REINVENT THE WHEEL.

OVER. AND OVER. AND OVER. AGAIN.

A WEB ECOSYSTEM, THEN, IS…

CAMPUS END-USERS

CAMPUS WEB SUPPORT TEAM

BLOG / MICROSITE

HEAVY CMS / WEB PLATFORM

CRM / FORM / WORKFLOW

SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

STATIC WEBSITE ASSETS

PORTFOLIO TOOL CONTENT REPOSITORIES

A WEB ECOSYSTEM IS A COLLECTION OF

PLATFORMS, TOOLS, SERVICES, AND ASSETS

TO BLEND CAMPUS WEB IDENTITY ACROSS ANY* APPLICATION.

PLATFORM

CAMPUS END-USERS


BLOG / MICROSITE







CAMPUS END-USERS


CONTENT REPOSITORIES

BLOG / MICROSITE



PORTFOLIO TOOL


WHERE, PHYSICALLY, DOES YOUR WEB OFFERINGS LIVE?

THE CLOUD

ON SITE

WHEN CONSIDERING WHERE YOUR PLATFORMS SHOULD

LIVE:FEATURES SECURITY UPDATES SUPPORT

TOOLS

CAMPUS END-USERS


BLOG / MICROSITE







CAMPUS END-USERS



BLOG / MICROSITE



PORTFOLIO TOOL


TOOLS ANSWER THE QUESTION.

WHAT HELPS ME DO THE JOB OF WEB DEVELOPMENT?

TOOLS PROVIDE WORKFLOW FOR CODE AND DEPLOYMENT.

HOW DO I BACK UP? PULL DOWN/PUSH UP CODE?

WHAT SCAFFOLDS EXIST?

2 PRIMARY FORMATS.

CODE HELPERS.

PREPROCESSORS, VARIABLES, AND

REUSABLE CODE CHUNKS.

A LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT.

TAKES THE DON’T-REPEAT-YOURSELF APPROACH TO

CODE SNIPPETS.

CODE SHARING, ARCHIVAL, AND VERSIONING.

ALLOWS FOR COLLABORATION ACROSS CAMPUS (& BEYOND!)

SERVICES

CAMPUS END-USERS


BLOG / MICROSITE







CAMPUS END-USERS


SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE / SHARED ASSETS


BLOG / MICROSITE



PORTFOLIO TOOL

DRIVEN BY A TOOL KIT OF PLATFORMS AND SYSTEMS

SUPPORTED AND LEVERAGED.

CAMPUS WEB DOSSIER.

4LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY FOR CAMPUS WEBSITES.

STATIC/OLD WEBSITES THAT NEED A FRESH COAT OF PAINT

BROCHUREWARE/LOW-LEVEL WEBSITES THAT BENEFIT FROM SHARED ASSETS

COMPONENT/OBJECT-BASED WEBSITES LEVERAGING A CMS TO STORE/DISPLAY DATA

CUSTOM-FIT APPLICATIONS A LA CRM, DAM, REPOSITORIES, ETC.

SHARE RESOURCES AND ASSETS (THEME) BETWEEN ALL FOUR

ASPECTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

REUSABILITY IS KEY.


BROCHUREWARE/LOW-LEVEL WEBSITES THAT BENEFIT FROM

SHARED ASSETS

COMPONENT/OBJECT-BASED WEBSITES LEVERAGING A CMS TO STORE/

DISPLAY DATA


STATIC SITE GENERATOR

VERY LIGHT CMS

LIGHT CMS

BLOGGING PLATFORM

HEAVY CMS

CUTTING EDGE WEB FRAMEWORK

DIGITAL ASSET REPOSITORY

CUSTOMER-RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT


SHARED ASSETS


DISPLAY DATA


LIGHT CMS

BLOGGING PLATFORM

HEAVY CMS






VERY LIGHT CMS

SHARE CONFIGURATION AND ASSETS WITHIN EACH TYPE.



SHARED ASSETS


DISPLAY DATA



VERY LIGHT CMS

LIGHT CMS

BLOGGING PLATFORM

HEAVY CMS




AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE, SHARE THROUGHOUT THE SPECTRUM.

ASSETS

CAMPUS END-USERS


BLOG / MICROSITE






CAMPUS END-USERS


BLOG / MICROSITE



SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE / SHARED ASSETS



REUSABLE COMPONENTS. PLUG-AND-PLAY ELEMENTS.


THEME / BRANDING NEWS / EVENTS TOOL

DIRECTORY TOOLEMERGENCY INTEGRATION

ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS LOGO REPOSITORIES

ABOVE ALL ELSE.DOCUMENTATION.


THEME / BRANDING NEWS / EVENTS TOOL

DIRECTORY TOOLEMERGENCY INTEGRATION

ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS LOGO REPOSITORIES

DOCUMENTATION

HOW/WHY/WHERE/WHEN.

THE UNSPOKEN ELEMENT

COMMUNITY

OUR SUBJECT-MATTER-EXPERTS.

CONSUMERS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND KNOWLEDGE-MAKERS.

BUILD A COMMUNITY-OF-PRACTICE.

BUILD COMPETENCY, EXPERTISE, AND EXPERIENCE FOR USERS

OUTSIDE OF YOUR TEAM.


PLATFORMS, TOOLS, SYSTEMS

WEB SUPPORT STAFF

END USERS

REUSABLE COMPONENTS AND THEME FRAMEWORKS.

USE-CASE DRIVEN WEB SOFTWARE AND BEST PRACTICES.

WEB EXPERTISE AND RESEARCHERS.

A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR BUILDING, MAINTAINING, AND ENCOURAGING GROWTH AND EXPERTISE.

MAKING THE CHANGE

ONE MAJOR CAVEAT.

DISTRIBUTED WEB CAMPUSES WILL TAKE LONGER TO SEE

RESULTS.

1.DEFINE YOUR END-GOAL GOAL.

LOOK AT YOUR PRESENT WEB INFRASTRUCTURE.

WHAT WORKS? WHAT DOESN’T?

MOST IMPORTANTLY…

WHAT IS MISSING?

CONSIDER YOUR END-USERS. YOUR STAKEHOLDERS.

AND YOUR EXPERTS.

HOW CAN THEY BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE?

ADVERTISE YOUR END-GOAL.

SHOWCASE THE BENEFIT AND CURRENT LIMITATIONS.

2.GET CAMPUS BUY-IN/INPUT.

REACH OUT TO WEB USERS AND WEB DEVELOPERS ON CAMPUS.

ASK THEM THE SAME THREE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED YOURSELF.

WHAT WORKS? WHAT DOESN’T WORK?

WHAT’S MISSING?

YOU’LL FIND SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T EXPECT.

IF DECENTRALIZED…

FIND PARTNERS, SUPPORT, OR BUY-IN FROM CENTRAL UNITS.

IF DECENTRALIZED…

FIND PARTNERS, SUPPORT, OR BUY-IN FROM CENTRAL UNITS.

PLAY THE POLITICS GAME.

3.FIND A POTENTIAL FIX, AND MAKE THE CHANGE.

PROOF OF CONCEPT.

IF DECENTRALIZED, THIS SHOULD BE EASY.

IF CENTRALIZED, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT RESOURCES

YOU’RE WORKING WITH TODAY.

FIND AN ‘EASY WIN' PROJECT.

GO THROUGH THE PROJECT PHASES TO TEST A SOLUTION

(AT A SMALLER SCALE).

WHERE TO FIND ISSUES?

ASK WEBDEVS. ASK WEB USERS.

ASK CENTRAL WEB GROUP*. ASK YOURSELF WHAT’S MISSING.

4.PUSH FOR CHANGE. OR MAKE CHANGE.

BEGIN BEING THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE.

GET BUY-IN FROM LEADERSHIP, DEVELOPERS, AND END-USERS.

BRING CHANGE TO YOUR CAMPUS!




PLAY THE POLITICS GAME.




COMMUNITY BUILD!

FORWARD PLANNING

YOU CAN’T PREDICT THE FUTURE.

YOU CAN PLAN FOR CHANGE.AND FOR GROWTH.

CONSIDER THE MIGRATION:

DRUPAL 7 (PHPTEMPLATE) DRUPAL 8 (SYMFONY, TWIG)

PLANNING AN ECOSYSTEM ISN’T JUST ABOUT TODAY.

IT’S ABOUT LOOKING FORWARD

WHERE TO LOOK?

OUTSIDE HIGHER-ED.

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE.

IN THE WILD…

A QUICK NOTE.

AS MY CAMPUS IS HEAVILY DECENTRALIZED, I DON’T SPEAK FOR THE CAMPUS AS A WHOLE.

HOWEVER, I DO SPEAK FOR THE WEB DEVELOPERS.

MY WORK PRIMARILY IS WITH COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND SUBJECT-MATTER-EXPERTISE.

AROUND 2011.

DRUPAL WAS KING.

ALL WEBSITES USED DRUPAL BECAUSE THERE WAS NO

ALTERNATIVE FOR ‘SUPPORT’.

DRUPAL THEME

200 WEBSITES WITH CENTRAL CAMPUS THEME.

~300 WEBSITES WITHOUT A CENTRAL CAMPUS THEME.

THE WILD WEST FOR ALL OTHER WEBSITES.

THE PROBLEM…

ONE SYSTEM CAN’T DO IT ALL. AND ATTEMPTS TO DO SO AGED

POORLY.

IN 2017

DRUPAL STILL REIGNS.

BUT DRUPAL ISN’T A FIT FOR EVERYONE. BECAUSE DRUPAL

ISN’T EASY.

WORDPRESS RULES FOR THE DIY WEB USER ON CAMPUS.

SO WE TOOK WORDPRESS AND TURNED IT INTO A SERVICE.

HTML WEBSITES CONTINUE TO SURVIVE AND DECAY.

SO WE’RE LOOKING INTO WAYS TO MAINTAIN, ARCHIVE, OR SUPPORT

THOSE WITH LITTLE OVERHEAD.

AGNOSTIC THEME FRAMEWORK

800 DRUPAL WEBSITES WITH CENTRAL CAMPUS

THEME.

WORKFLOW TO ENCOURAGE NEW WEBSITES TO ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS.

800 WORDPRESS WEBSITES WITH CENTRAL CAMPUS

THEME.

COMMUNITY-OF-PRACTICE AND EXPERTS ACROSS CAMPUS TO BUILD AND EXTEND.

STATIC SITE GENERATOR PROOF OF CONCEPT

WEBSITE-AS-A-SERVICE A WORK IN PROGRESS.

HOW DID WE DO THIS?

COMMUNITY BUILDING WAS KEY.

PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE TO OUR END USERS ALLOWED

DECENTRALIZATION TO REALLY MEAN DEMOCRATIZATION.

WORDPRESS WAS THE RESULT OF TWO COLLEGES TEAMING UP.

FIXING THE CHALLENGE OF ‘MICROBLOGS’ AND

‘BROCHUREWARE’ WEBSITES.

DRUPAL 8 IS COMING…

AS AN END RESULT OF OUR COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENTATION.

OLD WEBSITES ARE BEING PHASED OUT.

SECURITY CONCERNS SINGLE-SIGN-ON

NEWS/EVENTS INTEGRATION

BUT IT’S WORTH NOTING…

THERE’S STILL WORK TO DO.

QUESTIONS?

Internet

HighEdWeb 2017 - Unbundle Your Institution: Building a Web Ecosystem