Choosing the right resource

Design, photo, video, web and communications planning tools play an important role in telling the Illinois story. Explore the resources available to MarCom professionals at Illinois.

Communications and planning

Tool	Description
Airtable Enterprise	A collaborative project management tool with customizable databases, combining the flexibility of spreadsheets with project planning features. Email aschiess@illinois.edu to learn more.
Microsoft Planner	Task management tool for organizing projects, facilitating collaboration and tracking progress.
Webtools	A StratCom-built free application that includes blogs, bulletins, calendars, Email+, file manager, forms, group manager, Massmail, short URL, skin designer and surveys.

Design

Tool	Description
Adobe Express Templates	Simplifies and accelerates the design process through pre-designed templates in Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe InDesign	Professional layout and page design software, ideal for print and digital publications.
Adobe Illustrator	Software application for creating drawings, illustrations and artwork.
Adobe Photoshop	Versatile design and photo-editing software for creating and enhancing images, graphics and videos.
Figma	Collaborative design tool for creating user interfaces, prototypes, and interactive design experiences.

Marketing

Tool	Description
Centro DSP	Please reach out to the StratCom digital ads team to learn more about the demand-side platform for digital advertising, facilitating programmatic buying and analytics.
Google Analytics	Web analytics service for tracking and analyzing website and app traffic, providing valuable insights for digital marketing strategies.
Google Looker Studio	Business intelligence and data analytics platform for exploring and visualizing data.
Google Search Console	Tool for monitoring and optimizing website performance in Google Search results, enhancing visibility and SEO.
Google Tag Manager	Platform for managing and deploying marketing tags on websites.
Slate CRM	A recruitment and admissions management platform with inbuilt marketing tools.
Tableau	Analytics and data visualization platform.

Photo/Video

Tool	Description
Illinois Image Database	Database of campus photos for university marketing and promotion. Organized, cataloged and managed by StratCom.
Illinois Video Database	Database of campus video clips organized, cataloged and managed by StratCom.
Storyblocks	Stock media platform offering a vast library of high-quality video, audio and images.
Adobe Lightroom	A cloud-based creative image organization and image manipulation software.
Adobe Media Encoder	An audio/video media processing program that allows users to convert and encode various video and audio codecs.
Adobe Photoshop	Versatile design and photo-editing software for creating and enhancing images, graphics, and videos.
Adobe Podcast	Audio editing, AI-powered transcription and professional-grade remote recording.
Adobe Premiere	Professional video editing software for creating polished and engaging video content.
Adobe Rush	Video editing software for quick and easy editing.
Adobe Stock	Photo resource platform for creative projects.

Web Development

Tool	Description
cPanel	Web hosting control panel for managing website configurations, domains and server settings.
GitHub	Version control platform facilitating collaborative software development, code review and project management.
HTML Validator	A dynamic HTML checker that aids in catching unintended mistakes, promoting accessibility, usability and overall document quality.
PIE	An easy, free, secure and accessible website hosting tool with templates and pre-approved Illinois branding for non-technical users to get a full website running in minutes.
Web Accessibility Inspector	A user-friendly, open-source tool empowering Firefox users to comprehend and adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and ARIA in HTML. With improved features like accessible name computation, table rules and keyboard rules, it prioritizes manual checks, fostering a nuanced understanding of accessibility requirements
WIGG Themes for WordPress & Drupal / CMS independent components	Plug-and-play Illinois branded themes and components for creating accessible and responsive website interfaces.