Web Strategy<\/strong><\/p>To establish a comprehensive strategy for the site\u2019s new design, HMG first defined College Forward\u2019s organizational goals: increasing donations, making student resources more accessible, and scheduling more demos for CoPilot \u2013 an industry-leading student information system providing coaches and advisors with a 360-degree view of their students. Designing a site that supported these overall goals, we focused on creating a better digital experience by improving site speed, response time, and mobile functionality.<\/p>
Our first priority was to strategically reorganize content to enhance the overall user journey. We identified the various audiences that would be visiting the site: students, coaches, partners, and donors, among others. Then we structured the site with new pages and sections that provided a simplified path for visitors as they seek out specific information. Focusing on the goal of increased engagement, we also made sure to make features like the newsletter subscription and blog more prominent.<\/p>
To make it easier for visitors to make a donation on the site, we also simplified the donation component with an easy-to-use donation form, seamlessly integrated with the SalesForce platform to track volunteer\/donor data.<\/p>
Web Design<\/strong><\/p>In order to speak to both students and potential donors\/partners, we wanted to create a professional yet approachable look for College Forward\u2019s new site with a clean, enterprise feel. We did this by combining a traditional look with fun, youthful elements, such as rounded corners and hand drawn graphics, creating a softer, more welcoming aesthetic. Using the organization\u2019s logo as inspiration, we incorporated hand-drawn design elements to maintain playfulness throughout the site.<\/p><\/div>
You\u2019ll also notice a live number count on the site displaying relevant statistics \u2013 like the number of students served \u2013 to visually convey College Forward\u2019s impact. In our design, we prioritized motion through video usage and fading techniques to provide an eye-catching and engaging experience for site visitors.<\/p>
We developed the site on the WordPress framework, incorporating the page builder, Elementor, so the College Forward team would be internally equipped to administer the site as updates are needed. The site\u2019s development also required custom features, including an extensive filtering functionality on the \u201cOur Team\u201d page to more easily search for staff members based on their department and team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t