Features

Building a better search experience

Joyce Peralta — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:39:31 +0000

Update: This article was originally published in October 2020. The search improvements mentioned were launched in January 2021.

As you might have heard, search improvements are underway in the WMS. In the image above, you can see our old search experience (left) and the new version (right). As part of these updates, we're pleased to announce some new features and refinements.

Search me!

matthew.corks@mcgill.ca — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:33:04 +0000

The IT Web Services Group is excited to share that we've completed phase one of upgrading McGill's search engine, the backend tool used to power searches from the McGill homepage, the Course Catalogue, and the search box at the top of all WMS pages!

What's new

We are confident that the new search engine will result in:

Social media buzz in the WMS

joyce.peralta2@mcgill.ca — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:12:01 +0000

We’re excited to announce recent and upcoming changes to social media tools in the McGill Web Management System (WMS), based on your feedback.

What's changing? ��Ƭ��֦��Ƶ icons for Bluesky and Threads

In January 2025, we added Bluesky and Threads to the options for the footer follow block. You can already see these new icons in site footers, making it easier for your audience to connect with you on these emerging social platforms, expanding your reach and engagement.

Give your webforms a signature McGill style

jaylen.gordon@mcgill.ca — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 18:26:25 +0000

With Microsoft Forms now being used as our platform for webforms, surveys, quizzes, and polls, we wanted to ensure that the McGill brand remains front and center. Thanks to the help of our talented friends at Graphic Design, you can now do just that! Ditch the generic teal background and choose from one of our four new McGill-branded styles for your forms:

How you helped build McGill's new Course Catalogue

joyce.peralta2@mcgill.ca — Fri, 30 May 2025 18:41:06 +0000

Summary: McGill's new Course Catalogue was created with input from (literally) hundreds of McGill students and staff members. Read this article to learn how audience research informed the design and building of this key resource, and find out how to participate in our post-launch evaluation interviews.

The new drop-down menu feature

Heidi Strohl — Wed, 21 May 2025 18:56:54 +0000

In the new WMS, we have a responsive drop-down menu whose design adapts to the structure of the links in each section.

Ever wanted to change the size of your headings? Now you can!

Heidi Strohl — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:56:15 +0000

Ever wanted to change the size of your headings? Maybe you wanted to create more dramatic layouts, or have better proportions in your pages or blocks? Now you can increase or decrease certain heading levels to fit your design needs.

Why we added this feature

TL;DR?

Skip to how to use the feature
Video explanation of the feature

We created this feature to address a contradiction between our accessibility requirements and our visual design recommendations.

Our "What you see is what you get!" guide to the new WMS

Heidi Strohl — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:46:42 +0000

The WYSIWYG editor (short for "What You See Is What You Get") lets you use and preview a wide variety of content styles. We demo them all!

Desperately Seeking CKEditor 5

andrew.collier@mcgill.ca — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:30:49 +0000

There was a time when anyone who wanted to edit a website needed to know HTML, and a small error in the code could create lopsided layouts and hours of misery for the editor. So, we should all feel grateful for the WYSIWYG editor that is available in the WMS. All the more so since it is about to get even better!

As the WMS moves to Drupal 9, CKEditor 5 will be used as its WYSIWYG editor, with a wonderfully revamped toolbar that is constantly visible while scrolling, and contextual toolbars that appear when you click on objects such as tables, images, and links.

��Ƭ��֦��Ƶ kid on the block: blocks in the new WMS

andrew.collier@mcgill.ca — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 21:06:10 +0000

When the WMS switches to new WMS blocks, it will continue to offer the same block templates you love (Statement, Call to Action, etc.), but with a more intuitive interface for creating and configuring those blocks, and more flexibility for placing the blocks on your site.

Place blocks in multiple regions

Blocks in the new WMS can be placed in different regions on different pages, or even in multiple regions of the same page. Gone are the days when you had to create numerous, identical, blocks to achieve this.

I can see clearly now. The Claro theme in Drupal 9

andrew.collier@mcgill.ca — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 21:17:58 +0000

You probably don’t think about the administrative theme in the WMS, and that’s the best sign that it’s doing its job well. The people who developed it, on the other hand, did put a lot of thought into improving it, and we will all benefit from this effort when the WMS moves to Drupal 9.

The new theme is called Claro, and it was developed following a UX Study that asked content editors to share their experiences and suggestions.

The updates focus on usability and accessibility rather than functional changes, bringing enhancements such as

Everything you need to know about McGill DS

heidi.strohl2@mcgill.ca — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 16:37:16 +0000

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.

What it's for

McGill DS is for McGill-branded websites and applications which have a design that's custom-coded. These McGill-branded products are typically built by software vendors, freelance developers, or by full-service agencies.

Design Principles: UX design basics for site managers

Heidi Strohl — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:36:55 +0000

This article is a behind-the-scenes look at the content we'll cover in our completely revamped Designing Digital Experiences with the McGill Brand course. Sign up now to look at real-world examples and participate in lively discussion about how to leverage the McGill brand and the principles of good design.

Announcing the Virtual Campus Tour

heidi.strohl2@mcgill.ca — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 21:09:59 +0000

McGill is transitioning to a new virtual tour provider. During this time, you won't be able to create new virtual tour blocks. Stay tuned for an announcement of the new platform!

Sharing patented innovations with Flintbox

heidi.strohl2@mcgill.ca — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 19:47:39 +0000

The AVP (Research and Innovation) and Web Services team are pleased to offer Flintbox integration with selected sites the WMS.

What's Flintbox?

Flintbox is already used by many units across the university to document licensable innovations developed and patented by McGill professors. It allows industry partners (or potential partners) to preview and browse cutting-edge technologies in fields like Medicine, Business and management, Computer Science, Engineering, Chemistry, and Life Sciences.