Champlain College
Champlain College needed a modern web presence that represented their core institutional values: innovation, forward-thinking, and a student-first approach to education. Their previous website was outdated, difficult to manage, and lacked focus, with meandering content, confusing navigation, and a disjointed visual language.
In 2022, the College issued an RFP to several agencies and ultimately hired Corey Machanic and Jake & Co to lead a comprehensive two-year project to redesign and develop a best-in-class higher education website. This complex initiative involved managing numerous stakeholders and coordinating with various teams.
A streamlined information architecture resulted in a nav model that creates a cleaner and clearer browsing experience. Our mobile-first approach allows for quick and easy access up and down the architecture.
Navigation Model
Corey Machanic developed and tested a comprehensive set of wireframes to illustrate the proposed user experience. This included a navigation model with a unified entry point for both ‘On-Campus’ and ‘Online’ students, providing access to resources under one cohesive system.
To ensure consistency and ease of management, we identified and structured various content types for both the front end and backend. This approach led to a more consistent and user-friendly experience for our audience.
Working closely with the Champlain College team, we defined the functional specifications for all content types and tailored a WordPress content management system to meet their specific needs.
Design-focused Content Management System
Corey Machanic laid the foundation of the frontend, and we worked closely with him and the Champlain College internal Information Services team to craft a backend solution involving a custom theme, a suite of custom WordPress blocks, API integrations and custom plugins. This project resulted in a streamlined, user-friendly, and visually consistent website, enhancing the experience for both prospective and current students.
The results of this comprehensive project have provided Champlain College with a modern, scalable, and cohesive web presence that effectively represents their values and meets the needs of their diverse student body.
