Case study
When the University of Wisconsin hired ZEMU in Summer 2004, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) had just completed a successful redesign. But it had only been implemented on half the pages. We were contracted to bring the remaining sections of the website up to date, starting with their alumni organization.
The challenge: Create an effective, distinct design while respecting the site’s new look.
We started by meeting with organization leaders, then identified priorities for the site and content areas that would allow them to meet their goals. They wanted to get alumni involved, so we put current activities up front. Converting interest to action is always difficult, so we put the application form in the middle of several paragraphs of persuasive text. An up-to-date events calendar and exciting photo gallery focuses on the organization’s goals of getting alumni involved. A job postings board and a form for updating contact information allow alumni to keep in touch and strengthens the bond between the organization and its members.
The end result is a fast, usable website that allows alumni to interact with the college and get involved. It retains its own identity and creates a useful visual hierarchy of information within a existing design foundation.