Higher experience
Higher Education
07.12.2010
In:
Energy / Infrastructure,
Education
No other institution provides that same experience — the one that is created when you blend academic pursuits with a culture of openness and collaboration. It’s an open marketplace of ideas where anyone is allowed to peddle their thoughts. I think this experience is what invigorates people with a deep passion for their college of choice.
When designing for colleges and universities, it’s that same passion that we seek to evoke. Every communication from brochures to websites should echo that experience.
So, how is it done?
First you have to gain an understanding of that experience. Immerse yourself in it. Talk to students and faculty. Tour the campus. Drop in on lectures. Ask questions.
Now you need to take that experience and boil it down into one compelling statement that captures the essence of the school. This isn’t easy, but you must get beyond the obvious. Saying that you’re the best at something or the first at something isn’t enough. It won’t be about the beautiful campus or the academic rigor.
You’ll find it in the emotions that people share about the school. Figure out why people feel that way and you’ll be on to something.
Then with every tactic you recommend, think about that essence and make sure it’s evident. If it isn’t there, go back to the drawing board.
For a recent project, we boiled this experience down to one statement:
Preeminence minus the pretension
The students, faculty and alumni shared a sense of pride about their university, yet a spirit of openness permeated the campus. It wasn’t about being great; it was about letting everyone have a chance to be great.
We translated this to the web using an optimal mix of functionality and narrative. Often universities make the mistake of creating a website that is too functional. The site provides good information, but there’s no substance or heart. We strive to create an experience where users can find the information they need but also hear the story of the university. It isn’t as simple as saying things like, “We have a vibrant arts community.” We needed to show that through examples and personal stories, and we needed to provide timely, relevant content simultaneously. We created pages at the top level of the site dedicated to each of the university’s focus areas — arts, public service and research that provided just that mix.
Is it as simple as providing the right balance of content? Certainly not. While content is important, our visual design has to strike the right balance as well.
We eliminated designs that were too plain and functional because they didn’t tell a story. We rejected those that were too modern because they lacked personality. And we trashed those that were too traditional because they were pretentious.
This approach shows preeminence by highlighting the vast and superior work that the university is doing. It lacks pretension because it shows a human side and allows prospective students and faculty to envision themselves a part of it. It succeeds because the visual style is perfectly in sync with its content.
It boils down to that one single statement, the one that captures the essence of the university. It’s why remembering the collegiate experience evokes passion for a lifetime.
