The Editor’s Edge: News, Tools & Tricks to Keep Your Website Sharp
Welcome to the second edition of The Content Compass! As we work together to enhance the university’s web presence, your commitment to creating accurate, accessible, and compelling content is more important than ever. Let’s continue to showcase the excellence of our campus community through every page we publish.
Big changes are on the horizon! Our new hosting environment for www.utc.edu officially launches May 30, bringing improved performance and reliability.
IMPORTANT! Beginning at 8 a.m. onFri., May 30, 2025, through Sat., May 31, 2025, editors will NOT be able to log in to the website to make any changes as the site will be locked for migration purposes. However, if there are any important edits that need to be made during that time, you can submit a ticket here and our team will make those for you after migration is complete.
Byte-Sized Briefs
If Content Is King, Then Communication Is The Crown. In our endeavor to build-up our web community, the UTC Web Team recently inaugurated a UTC Website Knowledge Base blog to share how-tos, updates, and best practices. Watch for new posts each month and please feel free to send us some suggestions!
Enhancing Media File Management: As of the last deployment, the Web Dev Team implemented the Media Replace and Media Delete modules in Drupal to offer greater control and flexibility for site administrators. Media Replace allows users to update the underlying file of a media entity—such as swapping out an outdated image or PDF—without breaking existing references to that media item throughout the site. This streamlined workflow simplifies media updates and helps maintain content integrity across pages. With Media Delete, users can cleanly remove media entities along with their associated files, preventing clutter and unused assets from accumulating in the media library. Together, these modules support better media lifecycle management for Drupal websites. To learn more on how to use these modules, please visit our Knowledge Base Article here.
Silktide Training Must Be Completed By May 30! As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of content on our platform, weʼve rolled out important training videos for Silktide. This tool will be key in helping us maintain high standards across our content, and it’s essential that all Content Editors complete the training by May 31, 2025, as Acquia Optimize services will end on 6/2/2025. For more information, please go here.
Building Better Connections: We’re in the early stages of developing a new university intranet, and to guide this process, we’re forming an Intranet Review Committee led by Senior Director of Marketing, Sally Halloran. This committee will evaluate potential platforms to ensure our internal web content is organized and aligned with the needs of our campus community. Their recommendations will help shape the foundation of a more effective and user-friendly intranet experience. Stay tuned for upcoming communications as the committee begins its work and shares findings.
Stronger Together: New Council Forming To Oversee Web Strategy. The Web Management Team is in the process of establishing a Website Governance Council, which will replace the Web Steering Committee, to help guide the strategic direction, consistency, and quality of our web presence. This cross-functional group will include representatives from key departments and is responsible for enforcing standards and ensuring alignment with institutional goals. By implementing this governance structure, we aim to foster more coordinated, efficient, and user-focused web management across all university sites.
Welcome Aboard, Kevin!
With over 20 years of experience, Kevin Tugman, UTC’s new Director of Creative Services in Communications and Marketing, is a creative problem-solver who specializes in turning great ideas into powerful content and engaging user experiences. He will help guide the next phase of our web design evolution, scheduled for release in 2026.
Known as a go-to partner for breaking through creative roadblocks, he brings fresh perspectives to even the most complex projects. His sweet spot lies in bridging design, strategy, and storytelling to craft content that truly connects. Whether helping teams overcome challenges or elevating creative approaches, Kevin is dedicated to making great things happen. As a proud UTC alumnus, he is always cheering—Go Mocs!
Please join us in giving Kevin a warm welcome!
Good file management is like good housekeeping…
…no one notices it until it’s missing.
As we move to our new host environment, the UTC Web Team is evaluating file storage and making some adjustments and recommendations. Storing large files directly on a website consumes valuable server space and can dramatically slow down page load times, leading to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. They also increase the risk of timeouts and errors, particularly for users on mobile devices or with limited bandwidth. From a long-term perspective, large files make site backups and migrations more cumbersome and can contribute to higher hosting costs. Keeping file sizes lean and storing bulky content in appropriate external platforms helps ensure your website stays fast, efficient, and easy to manage. Here are some tips for managing your files:
Images
When using Photoshelter, please download images at either the Medium (1200px) or Small (600px) size for uploading to the main site’s media library.
For AdobePhotoshop, ensure your images are 72 dpi and no larger than 1200px in width. To optimize them for the web, go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the dialog window, select “High” quality. This will balance image quality with faster load times for the web.
Optimizing your PDF helps reduce file size, improve load time, and ensure better accessibility. To optimize a PDF, remove unnecessary images or compress them, limit embedded fonts, and reduce the overall file size using export or compression tools. Additionally, make sure the PDF is accessible by tagging headings, adding alt text to images, and using clear document structure. A well-optimized PDF not only loads faster but also improves usability, searchability, and compliance with accessibility standards. Follow these steps to make your PDF web-ready:
Step 1: Open Your PDF
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Open the PDF file you want to optimize.
Step 2: Use the PDF Optimizer Tool
Click File > Save as Other > Optimized PDF.
This opens the PDF Optimizer window.
Step 3: Choose What to Optimize
In the PDF Optimizer window, you can control compression and remove unnecessary data:
Images: Downsample and compress images (e.g., use JPEG or JPEG2000 for better compression).
Fonts: Unembed unused fonts.
Discard Objects: Remove unnecessary elements like form fields or annotations if not needed.
Discard User Data: Remove hidden data like metadata, comments, or file attachments.
Clean Up: Optimize structure and remove unused elements.
Step 4: Audit File Size (Optional)
Click Audit space usage (bottom left of the Optimizer window) to see what’s taking up space in the file. This helps identify the biggest contributors to file size.
Step 5: Check Accessibility
For accessibility, use Tools > Accessibility > Full Check to identify any issues before uploading.
Step 6: Save Your Optimized PDF
Click OK to apply your optimization settings.
Save the file with a new name (e.g., “filename_optimized.pdf”) to preserve your original.
Layout Tip: Keeping It Above The Fold
On desktop screens, users often decide within seconds whether to stay on a site, and if essential information—like calls to action or a creative headline—is buried below the fold (the portion of a webpage that is visible without scrolling), it risks being overlooked. On mobile devices, where screen space is even more limited, placing high-priority content in the visible area ensures immediate visibility and an improved user experience. According to an article by TheeDigital, “content positioned above the fold attracts the majority of a user’s attention during the first few seconds of a page visit”—designing and building web pages to keep key content above the fold directly impacts user engagement.
Did You Know…
…that go.utc.edu is UTC’s official short URL and QR code generator, designed to make sharing university-related web content quicker and more user-friendly. Whether you’re promoting events, linking to important resources, or streamlining printed materials, go.utc.edu allows you to create clean, branded short links and QR codes (with the Power C!) that are easy to share and track. This tool helps maintain consistent UTC branding while offering a practical way to manage and distribute web links across digital and print platforms. It’s available to faculty and staff and is especially useful for marketing, communications, and departmental outreach. Want to learn more? Please see our UTC Website Knowledge Base article here or…
Editor Spotlight: Holley Beeland
After 22 years of dedicated service, Holley Beeland, Scientific Graphic Designer in the Research Institute, is retiring, leaving behind an incredible legacy of creativity, precision, and institutional knowledge.
As the Content Editor supporting the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Holley played a vital role in shaping and maintaining the university’s web presence for all things research-related, add that she liked the immediacy of the outcomes web work provides as well as being a nice contrast to doing illustrations and visuals.
She has a rare talent for transforming complex scientific information into accessible, compelling content—whether for technical proposals, scientific visualizations, or promotional materials. Her work spanned web, print, and presentation formats, always guided by her sharp eye, deep understanding of the research landscape, and commitment to UTC branding.
Holley’s impact reaches far beyond her beautifully designed brochures and well-structured web pages—she has been a trusted colleague, a steady presence, and a passionate advocate for UTC research.
Her contributions have not only helped secure funding and build partnerships but have also inspired students, faculty, and collaborators alike. She will be deeply missed, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter.
Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just getting started, The Content Compass is your trusted guide for making every webpage the best it can be.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any feedback! We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, happy editing!
