Interactive Media Awards consider site design, content and usability
A website launched a year ago by Palliser Regional Schools has received “Best in Class” designation in the Education category of the international Interactive Media Awards.
The site was nominated for the award by Steve Mebs, principal at Box Clever, an Edmonton-based web design company, which developed the site at www.pallisersd.ab.ca.
The awards are the creation of the Interactive Media Council, Inc., a non-profit organization of web designers, developers, programmers and other web-related professionals, and are intended to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet.
Palliser’s site was one of 20 education sites recognized this year by a panel of judges who review sites’ design, content, feature functionality, usability and standards compliance. The Best in Class award is the highest honour in the awards program, and Palliser’s site was one of two Box Clever designs to earn this recognition.
The new site launched in August 2013 with all new content including a Google map to all Palliser schools, up-to-date reports on whether Palliser buses are on schedule, and blogs from the Superintendent’s office, early learning expert and literacy coaches. More than 354,000 people visited the website in the past year.
“I’m pleased the council has recognized the planning and effort that went in to our new site, and the work that continues on providing our families and communities with relevant and timely content,” said Superintendent Kevin Gietz. “The website is a treasure trove of information for our stakeholders, and that information is easy to find thanks to Box Clever’s design.”
“It’s very exciting to win two awards of this calibre,” said Mebs. “The Palliser School Division website was a big project, and we had a lot of fun working on it with the Palliser team. To see that effort, and the great working relationship we have with Palliser, rewarded in an international arena — that’s awesome.”
Palliser Regional Schools is a public school division serving about 6,800 students in Lethbridge County, Vulcan County and the City of Calgary.