What is Leaders & Best?

Last year, I had the privilege of learning a bit more about the meaning of the University of Michigan’s slogan, Leaders & Best. The meaning became more and more clear on every visit and with each interaction with students and faculty. The University of Michigan sets the bar for a University that is committed to providing an amazing experience for college students. The university wanted to ensure that user experience on its web site was amazing from an online perspective. The effort was successful as the University of Michigan Admissions web site recently received the honor of being best in show at the 2011 Educational Advertising Awards.

Leading that web development project, I observed three critical factors that are crucial to building a successful and effective web presence.  I believe that these three factors lead to the success of this site, not only from an awards perspective, but also from a user experience perspective:

1.) Awareness of the goal of the web site.

I had the privilege of working with a forward-thinking and energetic Associate Vice Provost and Excutive Director at The University of Michigan as well as the Assistant Director for Communications for Admissions. They articulated clearly and concisely on day one what the goal of the site was and what type of experience they wanted prospective students to have in terms of interacting with the web site. The goal was clear: “We want a site that tells a story of what it means to be “Leaders & Best.” In doing so, we want a web site that creates an unbelievable user experience.” Those goals provided the litmus test for every recommendation and design decision that we made – did it help to tell the story of leaders and best?  If it didn’t resonate with target audiences as reflective of the experience of a Michigan Student and Leaders & Best, it was off the table.

 

University of Michigan Admissions Web Site Slideshow

 

2.) It’s all about the User

The goals in terms of call-to-action/user interaction were clear. We want prospective students to be able to:

  • Inquire
  • Apply
  • Visit Campus

These three calls-to-action needed to be accessible on every page. Here they are on the Admissions home page:

 

Calls to Action on the Michigan Admissions web site

These calls to action were derived from focus group interviews with prospects from New York to California. Prospective students wanted  it to be as easy as possible to find out how to apply, schedule visits, and obtain information concerning majors/programs based on how the user searches and not on how the University organizes itself.

3.) Telling the story

The story of Leaders & Best is told through compelling and clear copy as well as beautiful photography. The U of M worked unbelievably hard to brainstorm creative ideas for capturing events on campus and portraying authentic student experiences. The Admissions Office chose a talented photographer who was able to capture the student experience. Admissions Office staff members also worked to create and convey the most compelling, relevant, and interesting stories to articulate the university’s key points of differentiation and appeal. Here is a photo taken by Steve Allen.

University of Michigan Student Life

A great web site is one that creates an amazing user experience.  As a company that focuses on using research and analytics to drive marketing strategy, it is music to my ears when a college is articulate and focused in what they want to achieve and truly places the user in the driver’s seat.  University of Michigan’s Admissions web site does just that for the user and is a great reflection of University of Michigan as a world-class, top public university that is committed to a high-quality student experience. Go Blue!
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Joshua Dodson
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