Vidal Quevedo is a web communications specialist and Ph.D. student who combines technology and communications. He leads the development of web strategies and applications for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One project he oversees is #UWRightNow, a multimedia crowdsourcing initiative that captures campus life over 24 hours through stories, photos, videos and social media posts submitted by students, faculty, and alumni. The 2013 edition saw over 1,200 contributions from 88 countries and a 25% increase in visitors from the previous year.

1. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Vidal Quevedo
Web Communications Specialist
University Communications & Marketing
Ph.D. student in Mass Communications
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
@VidalQuevedo
vidalquevedo.com
Web Development +
Communications

2. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Overview
• Background
• What I do
• Web Development + Communications
• The Process
• #UWRightNow

3. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Overview
• Background
• What I do
• Web Development + Communications
• The Process
• #UWRightNow

4. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Background
• B.S. Information Systems (2001) – Universidad
Tecnológica del Centro (UNITEC), Venezuela.
• M.S. Life Sciences Communication (2008) – UW-
Madison
• Ph.D. student at School of Journalism and Mass
Communications (2014) – UW-Madison
Goal: Combine Tech +
Communications

5. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Overview
• Background
• What I do
• Web Development + Communications
• The Process
• #UWRightNow

6. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What I Do
• Web Communications Specialist at University
Communications & Marketing

7. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What I Do
• University Communications & Marketing
o Mission:
• “To protect, strengthen, and advance the UW-
Madison brand.”
o Priorities
• Promote UW-Madison
• Build and nurture relationships
• Lead institutional messaging and marketing
• Proactively address controversy

8. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
You are
here!

9. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What I Do
• Some sample projects by UComm:
o Wisc.edu
o The Weekly and Inside UW-Madison
o Video and Big Ten Network
o On Wisconsin Mag
o UW-Madison Day and the State Fair
o #UWRightNow
o Promotional work for admissions and recruitment,
print ads, broadcast ads

10. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What I Do
Main responsibilities:
• Lead and assist in the development and implementation
of the UW-Madison’s web communication strategy.
• Lead, consult and develop web applications for schools
and departments across campus.

11. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What I Do
Web developer
Web Communications Specialist, a.k.a.
web manager web programmer
web designer
web guru (haha!)
webmaster (circa 1996)
"the web guy"

12. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Writer Editor
What I Do
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
Project manager
Communication
Strategist
Programmer
Debugger
Front End
Engineer
Usability
expert
Server Manager
Tech
support
User trainer
Designer
Web development requires you to fulfill a series of overlapping
roles during the life of a project, sometimes on your own, and
sometimes with a team.

13. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
What I Do
Web development requires you to fulfill a series of overlapping
roles during the life of a project, sometimes on your own, and
sometimes with a team.
Project manager
Communication Strategist
Writer
Editor
Programmer
Debugger
Front End Engineer
Usability expert
Server Manager
Tech support
User trainer
Designer
Create a site to:
• Promote/sell
products or
services
• Deliver news
• Increase
awareness
• Manage
information
workflow
• Etc.

14. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Overview
• Background
• What I do
• Web Development in Communications
• The Process
• #UWRightNow

15. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Web Dev in Communications
Websites (and web applications) are
vehicles we can use to tell an increasingly
more interactive story about ourselves (or
our brand, company, institution, etc).

16. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Web Dev in Communications
They are communication tools, first and
foremost.

17. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Web Dev in Communications
So, what’s the first thing that should drive a
successful web development project?
A well-defined
communication goal.

18. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Starbucks.com | Starbucks on FB | Starbucks on Twitter

19. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Web Dev in Communications
What is a communication goal?
• “Promote our brand.”
• “Need to better reach our target audiences.”
• “Interact with users to learn more about how
they use our site.”
• “Make our site become the go-to place for
news.”

20. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Web Dev in Communications
What is NOT a communication goal?
• “Everyone and everything should have a
website. It’s like, the LAW.”
• “Our site is just old, and ugly, and I HATE
purple…”
• “I hear Flash, Social Media and the web 2.0 v-
logging twittersphere are all the rage right now.”

21. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
The Process
Information Systems “Life Cycle.”
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
• Define project goals
• Define target audiences
• Identify core activities
• Define website’s features
(sections, apps, content)
• Estimate duration of project

22. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
The Process
Information Systems “Life Cycle.”
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
• Paper prototyping
• Choose color palettes
• Design version 1, 2, 3, 4… n.
• Review/perfect design.
• Sign off on design.

23. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
The Process
Information Systems “Life Cycle.”
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
• Create structure (HTML)
• Add dynamic processing
(PHP)
• Define appearance (CSS)
• Add behavior (JavaScript)
• Test in several browsers and
platforms

24. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
The Process
Information Systems “Life Cycle.”
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
• Launch the thing
• Monitor traffic and usage
• Squash bugs
• Get feedback
• Pat yourself on the back

25. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
The Process
Information Systems “Life Cycle.”
Planning Design Development Implementation Support
• Squash unforeseen bugs
•Define improvement
opportunities.
• Go back to planning.

26. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Communicators in web dev
• Content is king
• Having a clear communication goal from the planning
stages DOES save time and money
• Communicators can be key identifying audiences and
their information needs
• Content strategy is an emerging field, with content
driving design, and not the other way around

27. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Overview
• Background
• What I do
• Web Development in Communications
• The Process
• #UWRightNow

28. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo

29. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
What: #UWRightNow is a multimedia project designed to
capture the breadth, depth and spirit of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison during 24 hours on April 18th, 2012
and April 17th, 2013
Who: the campus community, alumni and friends around
the world.

30. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
3. Over time, use your content to develop new
features and expand the site

31. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
“Hi -- We're looking at doing a new, huge
enterprise multimedia project on April 18.
Please, no vacations that day.
None show up on the vacation calendar as I write
this. Thanks and more later. This is going to be
fun!!!”
~ The Director

32. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Challenges
• Editorial: what to say
• Creative: how to say it
• Technical: how to deliver it (mobile too!)
• Logistical: how to man it
• Outreach: how to get people involved

33. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Some numbers (2013):
• 1,214 stories, photos, videos or tweets were
posted to the site
• More than 17,000 unique visitors came to the
site (25% increase from last year)
• Visitors from all 51 states and 88 countries

34. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Some numbers (2013)
• Visitors spent an average of five minutes on the
site
• 27 percent of visitors used mobile devices,
such as smartphones, to access the site (50%
increase from last year)
• ~13,500 visits via Social Media (mostly
Facebook and Twitter)

35. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
A crowd-sourcing project that got it right!

36. Web Development + Communications @VidalQuevedo
Thank you!
Vidal Quevedo
Web Communications Specialist
University Communications & Marketing
Ph.D. student in Mass Communications
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
University of Wisconsin-Madison
vidalquevedo.com
@VidalQuevedo