University of Pennsylvania

UPenn.edu Properties

  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Challenge

    Help one of America's premier universities reflect their evolving personality and standing in the global community on their digital platforms.

  • Solution

    A modern design incorporating beautiful campus photography and active student imagery, all built on a foundation of thorough user research.

  • Results

    Multiple reimagined institutional sites created with a wide range of audiences in mind, using cutting edge software.

A redesign 250 years in the making. The University of Pennsylvania needed to overhaul their digital presence to better reflect their modern and forward-thinking personality. As one of the world's premier centers for education, scholarship, and research, we started with extensive analytics and user research. Using that as a strong foundation, we worked with multiple teams to create new content and brand strategies accompanied by industry leading user experience and visual design, delivering a world-class experience across their primary web portal and admissions site.

  • Stakeholder Involvement Integrating Feedback

    To keep multiple senior administrators in the loop, we scheduled review meetings with plenty of lead time, ensuring all important decisions moved forward with stakeholder approval. Planning for stakeholder involvement from the beginning allowed us to better organize our timeline and avoid derailments.

    10 Lessons Learned from University (.edu) Redesigns
    Samara Strauss, Former User Experience Designer

  • User Generated Content Sharing Experiences

    The new sites, informed by extensive research, were optimized to show off the beautiful imagery around the campus. We also built a social-powered module to pull in photos from Instagram, encouraging participating from the community. Curated by the communications team, these photos help tell the story of Penn from all angles.

  • Admissions Site Leveling Up Admissions

    In addition to the university’s main web portal, the admissions site needed an update that complemented Penn’s printed viewbook, showcasing the university’s spirit and diversity. Using images of active student life and improved navigational elements, the new admissions site provides an immersive experience for users and encourages discovery and exploration.

Summary

Through in-depth research and first-rate design, we helped the University of Pennsylvania imagine and craft new digital experiences for their primary web portal in addition to their admissions site. With a modern user experience built on intuitive platforms, these properties now accurately reflect Penn’s standing as a top institution of higher learning.