Over the past month, the Website Redesign Initiative made significant progress across design direction, technical strategy, and student experience alignment, positioning the project for its next phase of execution.
The team selected a primary design direction (“ACC Forward”), establishing a modern, student-centered visual and interaction model grounded in storytelling, video, and intuitive navigation. This decision provides a clear path forward for homepage design and overall user experience.
In parallel, the team advanced technical architecture planning, with a hybrid WordPress approach emerging as the leading option to balance long-term flexibility (enterprise design system) with maintainability for a small internal team. Foundational work on a college-wide design system (Storybook + components) is underway, representing a major step toward consistency across all digital properties.
The project also made meaningful progress in content and platform strategy, including:
- Completion of a comprehensive content inventory
- Evaluation of enterprise search solutions to improve discoverability across public and authenticated environments
- Advancement of accessibility compliance efforts ahead of the April deadline
A key area of focus this month has been student experience design. Planning and alignment are underway for the Student Experience Squad (Architects)—a cross-functional group tasked with defining the future-state student journey, beginning with the Request for Information (RFI) process. This work will ensure the redesigned website is not only visually modern but also functionally aligned to how students explore, decide, and enroll.
Executive Summary – Project to Date
The Website Redesign Initiative is a college-wide transformation effort aimed at creating a unified, student-centered digital experience that improves engagement, navigation, and conversion from interest to enrollment.
Since project initiation, the team has:
- Established a clear strategic vision centered on a “student-first, career-forward” experience
- Completed foundational discovery, including stakeholder engagement, student insights, and content inventory
- Defined a new content model separating promotional (prospective student-facing) and departmental (community/internal) content
- Developed a modern information architecture and homepage strategy grounded in student personas and journeys
- Initiated a shift toward enterprise web governance, standardization, and scalable technology
A cornerstone of the project is the introduction of the Student Experience Squad (Architects). This group plays a critical role in:
- Mapping the end-to-end student journey from initial interest through enrollment
- Identifying friction points in current processes (particularly the RFI experience)
- Designing a future-state experience that is intuitive, connected, and cross-functional
- Ensuring alignment across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Marketing, and Enrollment
This approach represents a significant cultural shift—from decentralized, department-driven web experiences to a coordinated, experience-driven model where all areas contribute to a seamless student journey.
As the project moves forward, focus will shift to:
- Finalizing technical and platform decisions
- Iterating on and validating design concepts
- Advancing student experience design through the Architect Squad