The primary goal of the website is to support the strategic objectives of Bard College at Simon’s Rock:
In order to achieve the website goals, the website should:
Though initially this may seem like a paradox, the idea is to embrace Simon’s Rock’s nontraditional identity in look and feel, while also echoing higher education language and website conventions when addressing points of comparison or “table stakes,” in order to illustrate and legitimize our educational standards and values as equal to (or greater than) those of other higher-ed institutions.
Anchor the discussion in the educational models that the audience is already familiar with, positioning Simon’s Rock as the strongest option.
Include both quantitative and qualitative narrative-driven information on student success. Communicate the role of the larger Simon’s Rock community in these achievements.
Emphasize opportunities to connect directly with the admissions team and current students.
Allow students to home in on specific interests and topics. Streamline introductory content while offering easy access to supplemental details.
Convey the Simon's Rock's personality, liveliness, and academic strength.
Engage audience at each stage of the enrollment process, with a focus on generating quality leads.
Top level pages are geared towards prospective students and highlight content that is important to them. For prospective student is interested in student activities, we want to highlight the variety, scope, and the strengths of our programs. Examples are used to give a tangible sense of the experience. After the big picture, we can provide more detailed information, such as a complete lists, ways to sign up, or specific schedules.
This content hierarchy works for additional audiences. We reinforce our goals while also providing operational details.