How do you know when it’s time to redesign the college’s website? In Trinity’s case, the need has become apparent over the last several years. The site’s last major redevelopment was in 2011, and in the more than six years since that work was completed, Trinity has evolved in many ways, including the arrival of new leadership and the adoption of a new strategic vision. Additionally, technology and expectations move at a lighting pace, and it’s clear that the site’s front-end user experience no longer serves users in the best possible way.
Redeveloping the college’s website is a huge undertaking.
While some institutions choose to do the work in-house, we knew that in order to be as successful as possible, we would need to bring in a strategic partner who could conceive of, design, and develop a new institutional web presence that meets our technical and functional needs while delivering a contemporary and visually stunning experience with a content strategy that captures the vibrancy and exciting evolution of Trinity College.
Welcome, Fastspot
In July 2017 we put out a request for proposals inviting several interactive agencies to submit proposals for the work. The agencies ranged in size and geographic region, and they all were capable and respected firms. Fastspot stood out to our team as a clear favorite. Their deeply collaborative style melds strategy, design, and development into a fluid and iterative process that felt like a perfect fit for the project’s core web team. Not only did we feel that their process was the right fit, but their appreciation for Trinity’s distinctiveness as a liberal arts college in a diverse capital city was apparent. It was clear to us that they got who we are and they were going to make our story come to life.
By August, we were officially partnered with Fastspot and beginning the work of creating the Summit strategic plan microsite and refreshed visual identity.
Since 2001, Fastspot has been partnering with clients in the education, arts and culture, nonprofit, and professional services industries.Our day-to-day team members meld project management, UX, and design into a cohesive process that will lead us through development and launch.
Samples of Fastspot’s interactive work for higher education:
Overview of Fastspot’s Work for Trinity
Fastspot is Trinity’s partner from start to finish.
- Design and development of a microsite for Trinity’s strategic plan
- Creation and document of a refreshed visual identity (more later on how the microsite feeds into the visual identity and ultimately the new website)
- Website Discovery
- materials review, on- and off-site research, content audit, etc.
- Website Strategy
- creative brief, journey mapping, functional requirements, tech specs, content strategy, analytics tracking, SEO, IA
- Website Design
- Concept brief, wireframes, design concept and system
- Website Development
- Front-end development, WordPress integration, etc.
- Training
- Content Migration
- Testing
- Basic functionality, design review, UX reviews, usability testing, etc.
Photo by Will Oey on Unsplash