Over the past year we've worked hard to ensure our websites are accessible and inclusive for all audience members. We prepared for Drupal 9 in the WMS. And beyond the WMS, the launch of McGill DS (our new design system) opened up opportunities for improved brand and standards compliance for custom and vendor-built McGill websites.
Our community by the numbers
Our top stories
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Making our digital spaces accessible
Web accessibility was the key focus for many site managers and editors in 2022. At McGill we aim to create an accessible, diverse, and inclusive campus, and this includes our digital spaces. Our websites must strive to be accessible and inclusive to all users.
The passing of the Quebec Government's July 2022 deadline means that all McGill sites are now expected to meet the accessibility requirements outlined in the Standard sur l'accessibilité des sites Web (SGQRI 008 2.0).
Read our 2022 accessibility-related news and announcements. -
New Web Services resources
The new Web Services resources launched in 2022 reflect the expanding skill set of our website manager and editor community. We've progressed onto more nuanced expertise such as advanced writing style, web accessibility know-how and the principals of good design.
Check out our new resources:- Custom or vendor-built project toolkit
- Style guide toolkit
- Web accessibility training course - WS-106
- Digital design toolkit: completely revised to better support site managers and editors (based on our overhauled Designing Digital Experiences course)
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Drupal 9 release underway
You can't ignore the buzz surrounding the Drupal 9 release, a project which will continue into the new year. Sneak peeks at what's in store have started to surface and preparations are underway. Announcements shared so far focus on things to do to get your site in shape for the upgrade.
Read our 2022 Drupal 9-related news and announcements: -
Launch of McGill DS
McGill DS (or MDS) stands for McGill Design System, a collection of web design and development standards and resources offered by the Web Services team. See how McGill DS helped deliver a great brand experience on a tight timeline in this case study about McGill's revamped admissions system (2 exciting projects in 1!
Read our article, Revamping the Admissions System: A McGill DS Case Study. -
Special projects
Web Services was involved in some exciting foundational projects in 2023 including:- Slate admissions system (revamped admissions system)
- Current and prospective student journey mapping research
- EDI-related website projects, such as the launch of the Anti-Black Racism website and updates to the Equity website
Read our Web Services articles to keep up-to-date with our projects.
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Conferences and professional development:
Web Services community members enjoyed numerous opportunities to learn from and network with peers from across North America this year. A highlight was #PSEWeb 2022 held right here at McGill!
Web Services conference participation in 2022: -
Updates to webform best practices
Love 'em or hate 'em, webforms are a integral feature of many of our websites. This year, developments with privacy and security considerations for webforms resulted in guideline revisions that became a key topic of interest for many site managers and editors.
Read our article, Transforming forms.
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Bilingual web content
Announced in May 2021, Bill 96 reinforces and and strengthens the use of French in Quebec by expanding the linguistic obligations outlined in Bill 101. Specific details on what this means for McGill websites are expected to become available in 2023. In the meantime, site managers and editors are encouraged to follow best practices to be ready for related developments.
- Audit and clean up site content to remove irrelevant and out-of-date content
- Ensure awareness of the needs and requirements of your website audience, conduct research if necessary.
- Keep an eye out for related updates in our Web Services articles
