Web Services works to redesign myUSC


By
 in ,

Web Services is working toward customizing myUSC website’s design by the end of the spring semester so that the new portal will allow students to connect to online services at USC easier.

The myUSC website was built in 2005 and developers think that it’s time to redesign and add new technologies to make it a better experience for students.

“We are working on making the new myUSC more functional and sophisticated on all of your devices, especially your smartphone, so that you can get things done wherever you are,” ITS Director of Web Services Candace Borland said in an email to the Daily Trojan.

The new design has a modern style that works optimally on screens of any size. It lets users customize what they see and in what order on their myUSC home page.

“Currently, we are developing options for students who prefer to access information at a glance and maintain a clean, minimal interface,” Borland said.

The major differences from the old design are that the new myUSC runs on new servers, with a completely modern software infrastructure. The new interface and updated coding allows for information to be added faster and customized content to be created for individuals and groups. The new design allows increased content on the homepage and the software has been updated for bugs.

The new design aims to improve the student experience by making it easier and faster for students to find USC-related information directly from their phones. After the update, students will be able to use more myUSC-related programs from their smartphones.

The new portal design is currently in beta, or pre-release, testing at http://trymy.usc.edu. Thousands of students have logged in so far, and hundreds of students have sent their feedback. The Web Services team encourages students to take a few minutes to log into the beta version and notify them if they have any problems, recommendations or improvements.

“Our goal is to launch version one of the new portal by the end of the spring semester, at which time you will be able to reach it at http://my.usc.edu,” Borland said. “We will turn off the old portal at that time.”

The ITS Web Services and Enterprise Applications groups have been collaborating on designing and building the new portal.

“We have conducted student focus groups and surveys and are now soliciting direct feedback from students using the new portal,” Borland said. “We have also been consulting with various USC departments about what their students need.”

The new myUSC portal is designed to evolve with the changing needs of students and the rest of the University.