Case Study: Mount Aloysius College
Designing a Virtual Experience for the Students of Gen Z
With technology ever-changing and a new generation—Generation Z—starting their college careers, Mount Aloysius College knew that a fresh, accessible, and optimized website was the key to campus engagement. They turned to KDG, their partners for over a decade, for help.
User Research
KDG and MAC performed red-routing, wireframing, personas, and on-site meetings to ensure all audiences were considered and understood.
Careful Planning
Sitemap planning and content design helped the school condense the size of its website so it would be more manageable for admins and easier to navigate for users.
Flexibility for the Future
WordPress was specifically chosen because of its flexibility. MAC team members can add new pages as necessary, allowing the site to grow alongside the institution.
A Fast, Sleek, & Modern Engagement Tool
KDG and MAC have had a long, trusted relationship. KDG’s UI/UX design team even helped the school design its previous website. But that old site required a new layout, new content, and new features to meet the changing expectations of prospects, students, and alumni. Technology and the way people were using technology had undergone a major shift. Most web traffic was coming from mobile devices, which meant prospects needed content that was seamless to read, simple to navigate, and easy to remember.
MAC was out to capture the attention of a new generation of learners who grew up in a highly visual, stimulating world where answers were never far from their fingertips. Long blocks of content and complex menus gave way to short snippets of text, colorful student imagery, and bold action items that showed users exactly where they needed to go.
KDG consulted closely with MAC throughout an entirely new UX process, inclusive of competitive analysis, site mapping, and user personas. An on-campus visit was even part of the process so designers could meet the site’s key stakeholders and hear their needs, goals, and expectations directly. What did they need to accomplish their job? What questions did they hear from students? What digital tools could their department utilize? KDG’s team took this feedback and incorporated it into the design and development of the new site.
A full UI/UX web development project encompasses more than just web design. The new WordPress website includes:
- Online application
- Virtual campus tour
- Alumni donor page
- Audience portals
- “Find Your Admissions Counselor” feature
- Majors & programs index
- Student spotlights
- Campus calendar
- Social media integration
- New imagery
- Optimized content
- ADA compliance
- Cross-device & cross-browser functionality
- User roles & permissions
- Simple admin panel
- Hosting & security
They really go the extra mile for you.
Sam Wagner,
Director of Communications
Solutions
A Valuable First-Look
MAC wanted prospects to feel at home before ever stepping foot on campus. Bright imagery of students in action and a virtual tour give prospects a sneak peek at the private liberal arts school.
Interactive Enhancements
Students, prospects, and alumni are encouraged to interact with the new site. This is evident not only through the virtual tour, but through the “Find Your Admissions Counselor” feature, online application, and simplified donor form. Real-time news and social media updates are also posted.
Audience Targeting
Students aren’t the only users of MAC’s new site. Prospects, alumni, and parents are also frequent visitors. Audience portals give them a quick and easy way to find the content, forms, and news most relevant to them.
Safe & Secure
An outdated website is an organization’s biggest security vulnerability. An up-to-date WordPress platform, along with 24/7 hosting and monitoring by KDG’s cybersecurity team, ensure that the site is protected from the latest digital threats.
Maintainability
KDG wanted to make sure that MAC could shape the site however they saw fit. Thanks to WordPress’s maintainable framework and easy admin panel, MAC has control over content, plugins, pages, and features.
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