USC Annenberg
USC Annenberg
USC Annenberg, the esteemed communication and journalism school of the University of Southern California, recognized the need for an impactful update to their website. Encountering challenges such as a complicated user interface, limited mobile optimization, and a dated content structure, they decided that a comprehensive redesign was necessary. They turned to the expertise of Citrus Studios to breathe new life into their digital presence.
The goals for the project were clear – design an enhanced user interface, simplify website navigation, ensure mobile optimization, and reorganize the content for better usability. USC Annenberg desired a design that would reflect their pioneering and progressive approach to education and provide easy access to vital information for prospective and current students, faculty, and staff.
Process
Citrus Studios began by conducting rigorous user research, analyzing existing site metrics and conducting stakeholder interviews. These interviews were crucial in validating the strategy and included faculty members and representatives from several high schools. This comprehensive research shed light on the primary pain points and provided a clear direction for the redesign.
Armed with insights from the research, Citrus Studios conceptualized a new site architecture that would streamline the content and facilitate intuitive navigation. Wireframes and prototypes were employed to provide a tangible view of the proposed design changes.
Design & Development
The new design featured clean lines, bold typography, and vibrant colors aligning with the school’s branding. Emphasizing multimedia content, including videos, helped to showcase the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, vibrant events, and inspiring success stories.
Citrus Studios designed an easy-to-use navigation system, focused on primary user journeys – information for prospective students, resources for current students, dedicated sections for faculty and staff, and connections for alumni. Considering the growing number of users accessing the site via mobile devices, Citrus Studios adopted a mobile-first approach. They ensured that all features were fully responsive and optimized for speed.
Training & Handoff
Before the official website launch, Citrus Studios organized several training sessions for USC Annenberg’s internal team. They ensured that the team was fully acquainted with the new CMS, empowering them to update the site content as required.
Outcome
The redesigned USC Annenberg website was met with a wave of positive responses from all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Metrics displayed enhanced user engagement, increased time spent on the site, reduced bounce rates, and an uptick in inquiries from potential students.
Conclusion
Citrus Studios successfully revitalized the USC Annenberg website, turning it into an engaging, user-friendly platform that truly mirrors USC Annenberg’s standing as a leading institution in the field of communication and journalism. This case study underscores the importance of an empathetic design process that takes into account user needs and a strong collaboration with the client to deliver a website that meets both user expectations and organizational goals.
Strategic website redesign to elevate overall digital presence.