Ravensbourne University
Redefining the aesthetic and functional possibilities of higher education websites in partnership with Ravensbourne University London.
Ravensbourne University London is a leading higher education institution based in the capital's emerging Design District. Specialising in digital media, design, and fashion and with a vibrant brand identity that reflects its dedication to producing some of the world's finest creative talent, the university is renowned for its strong links to industry.
Challenge
Due to the shifting landscape of higher education and increased global interest in the university, there was an urgent need for a new website that could encapsulate the creative spirit of Ravensbourne and make it accessible to a wider audience.
Drawing upon our extensive experience in developing websites for higher education institutions like The University of London, Regent’s University and Goldsmiths, the objective was to extend Ravensbourne's striking brand identity into the online space, while redefining the aesthetic and functional possibilities of what a higher education website can be.
Approach
We embarked on an ambitious journey to redefine the university's web presence, inspired by cutting-edge websites from the UK's leading fashion and design industries. We leveraged the 'circle' motif from Ravensbourne’s existing brand identity, transforming it into an interactive, playful, and animated feature of the website. This allowed for a dynamic and visually stimulating user experience with the circle following the cursor across the site and serving as a creative prompt or animation.
The designs included a rich student life section, featuring blogs, podcasts and 360 video tours.
The Drupal content management system powers the new website, offering a significant upgrade in flexibility from the former Umbraco system. We integrated with the Radius CRM provided by Campus Management and utilised Amazon S3 to host video assets for the university’s international audience where Vimeo or YouTube might not be accessible.
Results
The results generated by the new website were phenomenal, as evidenced by these metrics from the month following the launch.
- The bounce rate reduced by 21% demonstrating that users were now far more likely to find content of relevance to them.
- The average time spent on the homepage increased by 32% demonstrating that this vitally important page was engaging users.
- The pages accessed per session increased by 27% demonstrating the efficacy of the new information architecture.
- The average session duration increased by 34% demonstrating that users were now spending far more time engaging with the website.
- A 13% increase in new users from outside the UK demonstrating the website's enhanced global appeal.
Our work with Ravensbourne University London exemplifies our commitment to transforming the higher education sector's digital offerings, and illustrates the unique opportunities that arise when institutions dare to push the boundaries of their online identity.
"Fantastic. What an outstanding result! At last Ravensbourne has a website worthy of the standards we aspire to. A massive thank you to each and every one of you for your skill, commitment and sheer hard work that got us over the line."