Claremont McKenna College is a top 10 liberal arts college according to U.S. News and World Report and Forbes Magazine. I was honored to work at the college for 7 years as the primary visual communications manager and web lead during the prosperous years of their campaign. Below is an example of my leadership work that supported the brand, visual identity and presentation of the College.
An aspect of my role as Director of Web Strategy was to convey aspects of the campus architecture, place and culture of the College. I hired an outside firm and provided creative direction on the type of photographic imagery and value shots needed not only for the new website, but also for various marketing and communication pieces such as the “CMC Currents” magazine.
Enterprise educational websites are complex and an industry of its own. Research, strategy, audience needs and constant communication is an on-going puzzle piece requiring negotiation (and sometimes compromise). As competition grows to attain the best and brightest students of the country, the higher education sector has come to the realization and the need to prioritize messaging, good design and excellent branding. As part of the effort to attract the right student to Claremont McKenna College, I lead a series of student engagement meetings to consider their thoughts on the proposed brand messaging and identity concepts for the website. The above mood board showcases typography, color, photo, layout, navigation and keyword choices to consider. The goal was to learn if what I presented resonated with the current student body as a way to provide insight if I was on the right track or not. The examples below represent a very small portion of the work performed.
The design above was the approved homepage concept for the College.