Augusta University's Interactive Viewbook
It's alive. Augusta University's traditionally-printed viewbook gets re-animated for a digital life.
A viewbook is a must have when it comes to a university's admissions campaign. Although they are informative and a great looking tool for prospective students and their parents, in today's digital world the printed collateral piece lacks the engaging and helpful interactive components the web can provide. They also can be weighty, expensive to produce and lack the ability to track leads or performance metrics.
Many universities have begun offering "digital" viewbooks, but a lot of the time they are simply a PDF version of their printed viewbooks and lack the strategic design and structure of content that prospective audiences are seeking.
The Challenge
Augusta University leads with a digital-first approach in all marketing efforts and this project didn't prove any different. Together, W/S and Augusta University decided it was a must to develop a unique and engaging digital viewbook that would give prospects and their parents a peak of what life is like as a Jaguar and most importantly, provide them with the information they want in a user-friendly way and on the platform they are using most.
To present the concept to our client (and do it justice) we created a quick video to replicate the user experience.
Our Solve
Thanks to Augusta University's Division of Communications and Marketing and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, we already had great content to start with from the printed viewbook we had created previously. We took that content and identified how to best bring it to life through video, animation, content restructuring and digital insights we had from current site and media metrics.
Now that the digital viewbook is live, the W/S and Augusta University teams are able to:
Track prospective student and parent site behavior and shape communications and strategy in response to their needs
Understand what prospective students and parents look for when they seek information
Serve information to prospects digitally, their preferred method of receiving information
Track leads for prospective student applicants
Design
The W/S creative team focused on serving up information in the most compelling way possible. We selected photos and video that best evoked what makes Augusta University special. We highlighted information that would resonate with prospective audiences: diversity of people and programs, leadership opportunities, the beautiful campus and its proximity to many activities and cities, the plethora of student organizations, value, etc.
User Experience
Naturally, the structure of the viewbook content needed to be adjusted from its print format so that prospects could navigate and access the information they wanted quickly. Content was simplified and helpful links to resources were added to help users complete their research and/or application journey.
Mobile-First
Knowing that the majority of our prospect audiences use digital devices for research purposes, W/S designed the viewbook to easily stack and adapt for different devices. We also wanted the viewbook to be something that could easily be shared digitally by the admissions office team, recruiters, parents and students alike without having to rely on reprints or mailings.
SVG Animation
Because the digital viewbook was supposed to be an interactive piece that served up information in a unique way, it was a no-brainer to include SVG animations to help tell the university's story and engage with prospective audiences.
“We designed Augusta University's digital viewbook with the intent of providing the most helpful information to audiences in a simple, easy to understand and fun way. I remember having to read through pages and pages on university websites and it was overwhelming. This will be a helpful resource that should make a student's final choice an easier decision.”
Moritz Kathe / Creative Lead
“Augusta University's viewbook needed to be easy to use, mobile friendly and informative without being overwhelming. Taking a mobile-first approach with modern web development practices, allowed us to nail that. All while making it a pleasure to browse. This is a viewbook unlike any other viewbook.”
Aaron White / Developer
“I love the personality that was created with animations and interactive elements on this project. We were able to take advantage of the web as a dynamic medium to create a content-filled site that feels up to date and alive.”
Wes Childers / Director, Interactive & Digital Media
“We are grateful for the opportunity to create a unique tool that allows our potential students to truly interact with Augusta University and all that we offer.”
Emily Renzi / Marketing Manager
“It's been an exciting journey to help Augusta University position themselves competitively within the category. The digital viewbook is just another example of how the university is leading with a digital-first approach and reaching audiences with the information they desire, where it matters the most.”
Christina Tucker / Director, Brand Strategy & Development
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