In July 2018, the Executive Board of the University decided that the UZH website should be given a complete makeover. The main reasons for this decision are the following:

• The current structure of the website no longer satisfies the needs of key target groups of UZH: Students and staff have to gather information from various places; some of the information provided is contradictory or redundant and lacks a consistent navigational structure.
• The manner in which information is provided is sender-oriented (internal view) rather than target group-oriented.
• All of these aspects result in an inconsistent user experience (UX).  
• In addition, the design of the website is outdated and not optimized for mobile devices.

The current website is therefore in urgent need of a makeover to allow UZH to adequately address its stakeholders and to make sure UZH's global appearance is in keeping with its aspirations as a leading international university.

A preliminary project was launched to develop the basis for the web relaunch.

The preliminary project aimed to

• develop a shared vision for the future website,
• develop a basic concept and various designs,
• plan the main project.

The preliminary project started in September 2018 and was completed at the end of August 2020.