A new brand identity, a college beautification project, and the launch of a robust digital platform have helped propel the College of Arts and Media into a massively successful 2022-23 school year. The new website I designed a served as a tool for student recruitment, boosting program enrollment by approximately 20% across all programs.
Under the leadership of a new dean, Grand Canyon University's College of Arts and Media is focused on delivering a story-driven experience for students that showcases the collaboration between the creative arts ranging from dance and theatre to graphic design and film. A new brand identity, a college beautification project, and the launch of a robust digital platform have helped propel the College of Arts and Media into a massively successful 2022-23 school year. I was tasked with designing and developing a new platform for the college that showcased news, upcoming events, student work, and degree pathways. The new platform has become an engaging tool for university recruiters to showcase opportunities to prospective students. It also made finding information and resources a much more efficient experience for current students and faculty.
Before the development of a college-specific website, the university hosted various pages about programs offered by the College of Arts and Media. This content lacked cohesive messaging and clarity, essential in attracting new students to a school with struggling arts programs. Even university counselors struggled to provide students with the necessary information to help them make informed decisions. The sleepy college needed to stand out among other more prominent and profitable programs on a growing campus. The creative talents of the college were hidden behind a crowded and confusing online presence, making it challenging to find information about performances and showcase events that highlighted student achievement.
During this project, the design team was working on a college beautification project; as part of this effort, I was responsible for designing and developing a new website for the college of arts and media. To gain more insight into what students needed to be successful, I interviewed various students from each department to determine critical priorities for the website, which included news, events, videos, student work, and degree program outlines. I developed a range of website wireframes and layouts and collaborated with other members of the design team, and gathered feedback from students and faculty before settling on a design direction for a remainder of the webpages.
The new College of Arts and Media website has become an incredibly beneficial tool for parents, current students, and prospective students interested in attending GCU and obtaining a degree in the arts. The website showcases the work of current students giving insight into the opportunities available for students. The website showcases student work and performances, giving insight into the opportunities available for students. It also provides parents and prospective students with access to course walks that help them understand the kinds of classes they'll take upon attending.
The project, along with the physical beautification campaign was awarded a Silver ADDY award from The Phoenix American Advertising Federation. Current web design students at Grand Canyon University continue to develop and enhance the GCUArts website with leadership from the five departments within the College of Arts and Media. The project has helped strengthen CAM's visibility among students and university leadership.
