HTML Archives | Sandra R. Childers

AIS HTML Email

AIS Email - Check my application status — AIS Email – Check my application status

I got to quickly design an HTML Email to go out to applicants within the Applicant Information System (AIS). I chose two photos from the front page of the website for the letterhead because they would scream “Something is missing in my application! I must take action!”

The work for an HTML Email is known by those who have done them as TEDIOUS, but I figured it out with some fun tweaks here and there. I had to remember how things were done several years ago since the email browser capabilities are not up-to-speed with a regular browser like Firefox or Chrome. I had to deal with no style sheets…to my chagrin. (Those are my favorite!) In my case, I also had to figure out that “\r\n” characters (line breaks) were in the html document when read in by the code, so they needed to be stripped out (replaced with empty strings). This HTML-email-building was an experience that will make my life easier when I have to do it again in the future!

In the end, the customer said they looked “fabulous” and “incredibly professional”. I’m blushing! Kudos to the original site designer, Ms. Humphreys, for making this email design job so easy!

Applicant Information System

This is my implementation of a design created by Admissions Communications for our Applicant Information System. I used HTML, Bootstrap and CSS for the home page. Everything internal is based on the styles used on the front page, but for what makes sense using Bootstrap. I mocked up most of the internal pages using a tool called Balsamiq to “draw out” what each page could look like in its final stages.

This site is developed now in many different languages: HTML, Bootstrap, CSS, jQuery, JavaScript, MVC, and C#, using the Entity Framework.

Office of Admissions Redesign

I have worked on the Office of Admissions websites since I came to the team in 2008. A redesign of their website was done in 2009, which I implemented from scratch using just HTML and CSS. The department did not use any type of Content Management System back then.

The version above is the latest total overhaul of the design, done in 2015. Given the design again by Admissions Communications, I added this website into Kentico CMS. I set up each area so they could ultimately make the content changes instead of having to depend on their IT department for each change.

This was a great exercise in CSS tweaking and Responsive Design. Also, I had to open up enough of the front page so that the original designer could change it, but not enough so she could mess up the structure of the page. A nice balance was reached between the two of us discussing what would be best for everyone.

Game Plan

The Academic Success Center (ASC) provides several ways to help students stay in and thrive at Texas A&M University. The above image is an example “batch processing” page in their Game Plan website, where you can select several students at a time to, for instance, put them all in a tutoring session, or give them all certificates for going to a special workshop.

I designed and implemented the Game Plan website (and this page) for the Academic Success Center using MVC, C#, HTML, Bootstrap, jQuery, JavaScript, and CSS. This site was created before the surge of responsive sites, so only portions of the site are actually responsive.

The original design for the header appeared as this (the ring is in the center as requested), but the office moved locations and the header was changed to what shows above.

Office of Admissions (2009)

This is the old version of the Admissions website. I built this design (given to us by Admissions Communications) with strictly HTML and CSS. I was responsible for updating all of the content for the communications department and it was, well, tedious! Each time there was an update needed, I was the one to ask!

Eventually, it was redesigned, and I put it into the Kentico CMS so that the communications department could work on updating their own content. (Ahhh…)