Arbutus College, located in Vancouver, BC, is a post-secondary institution focused on equipping students with professional communication skills within a supportive learning environment.
Following a change in ownership and staffing, Arbutus College faced a significant 60% decline in student enrollments, leading to challenges in maintaining operational stability.
We were tasked with identifying the root causes of this decline and developing strategies to stabilize and increase enrollments, all within a tight budget.
Through qualitative and quantitative research, we uncovered challenges faced by prospective students and agents through interviews, feedback analysis, and surveys, identifying key barriers to enrollment.
The improvements led to a significant increase in student enrollments, rising by 92% in the first year and more than five times over three years.
We identified key enrollment challenges by interviewing educational consultants and students, uncovering critical insights that helped us map the issues effectively.
Building on the insights from our interviews, we conducted a survey across a broader group of agents to validate our findings and ensure data saturation, confirming that the challenges we identified were consistent across our customer base.
Positive student experience
High-quality instruction and a supportive environment were highly valued by students, enhancing their experience.
Vibrant community
A vibrant campus community fostered connections, collaboration, and engagement among students and their peers.
Highly qualified teachers
Instructors were experts in their fields, dedicated to delivering a meaningful education that inspired and empowered students to succeed.
Unclear acceptance criteria
Unclear admissions criteria caused confusion and frustration for both advisors and students, impacting their experience.
Ineffective communication
Delayed email responses and missed communications left clients frustrated and uncertain about their enrollment status
Frustration with School Website
Users couldn't find crucial information, such as program details, admission criteria, and missing application instructions and intakes, leading to frustration for students and agents navigating the site.
Inconsistent communication, both in tone and response time, created frustration and confusion for students, negatively impacting their experience and damaging the institution’s reputation.
Prospective students struggled to find key information on the website, leading them to explore other colleges. This highlighted a gap between user expectations and the site's functionality, emphasizing the need for a redesign.
We deepened our understanding through internal and external research. I observed agents interacting with students and monitored the admissions process. These insights revealed communication gaps and identified missing information on the website.
We further validated our findings through usability testing, where we identified issues with website navigation, accessibility, and the application process. These results highlighted the need for a more intuitive, student-centered design.
We revamped our email strategy to improve both the tone and response time, reducing delays and enhancing the experience for prospective students. Automation of manual tasks allowed staff to focus on high-value interactions, improving overall service quality.
The website was redesigned with a focus on navigation and accessibility, making it easier for users to find the information they needed. We also streamlined the application process with a new digital form, significantly reducing manual workload and improving efficiency.
After thorough research and design refinement, I've created a website that exceeds its predecessor in every aspect. Through careful analysis of user behavior and feedback, I've optimized the site to deliver the most relevant information intuitively to our students and agents.