Our values

An Accessible Website

We build our websites to be used by everybody. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.

Fewer, Better Choices for Editors

Instead of giving you everything and a kitchen sink, we work closely with editors to understand the work they need to get done on the web and build tools tailored to accomplishing those specific tasks.

Clear Design

The design of the website should never get in the way of organizing or finding information. Websites must be easy to navigate, present the content without distraction, and form a cohesive whole with other institutional sites.

Everywhere, Any Device

Websites need to work on more than just desktop computers. This site might be shown on a tablet, phone, watch, scoreboard, or any number of things in between. We optimize for performance, knowing that not all of these devices will have fast connections.

Stability and Security

Our main websites are a top-tier service. We strive to keep them available at all times and have back-up plans for when that’s not possible. We keep them secure through regular maintenance and clear direction about their appropriate use.

User Privacy

We don’t collect information we don’t need. When using third party tracking and analytics services, we have a defined business objective and examine what is collected.

Promote Self-Service

Wherever possible, we allow you to log in and get your work done. We provide interfaces which let you create websites, shortcuts, manage permissions, organize documents, and teach courses without jumping through hoops.

Have Governance, But Not Too Much

We trust the abilities and professionalism of our community. There will always be some pages that need to be locked down, but generally editors should be able to work with their colleagues to determine who manages the site, rather than fighting with the system for permission.

An Extensible System

Going through constant website migrations and redesigns is difficult for everyone involved. We’re creating a platform which we aim to extend year-after-year, rather than reinvent it every five or ten years.

Sharing What We Do

We want to be open about the work we do and participate in similar communities. This website is build on free and open source software and we contribute back what we build.