It was time for Loyola Marymount to rethink LMU.edu—to design a digital experience that underscores the university’s unique academic quality, location, and Jesuit foundation and showcases its gorgeous campus. Another important goal for the site included creating a better framework for storytelling through images, video, and text. A team from campus worked with mStoner, Inc., and TERMINALFOUR to rebuild LMU.edu from the ground up and develop a roadmap to extend the brand new interface through the LMU domain. Learn about some of the challenges, the strategy, and solutions to arriving at the university’s new responsive design.

1. Storytelling + Experiences
Ingredients of a Successful Redesign
at Loyola Marymount University

2. Piero Tintori
@pierotintori

3. Mike Schulz
@schulzmk
@mStoner

4. Part I Where We Started
Part II Creative Approach
Part III Implementation
Part IV Questions

5. Background

6. • Located between the Pacific Ocean and
downtown Los Angeles.
• LMU is a comprehensive university offering
60 major programs, 41 master’s degrees
and two doctoral degrees.
• Ranked third in “Best Regional Universities
(West)” by U.S. News and World Report.

7. • Largest Jesuit university for
undergraduates on the West Coast.
• Deep commitment to ethical formation
and academic excellence.
• Emphasizes its Jesuit and Marymount
traditions through the education of the
whole person.

8. I. Where We Started

11. • The university employs a hybrid approach to web content
management responsibilities:
1. 5 centralized web managers are responsible for the
support, administration and training as part of the
Marketing and Communications department.
2. Distributed communications managers are employed
in each college, school and major area to ensure
departmental websites are properly resourced.
3. 650 content providers/producers are active CMS
users distributed throughout the university.
The Situation

12. • LMU has performed several brand research projects:
• Target audience research.
• Focus groups.
• Surveys to evaluate its positioning and effectiveness
in the competitive marketplace.
The Situation

13. • LMU has evaluated strategic print communications and
actively evaluates digital channels for effectiveness.
• In 2010, the university redesigned LMU Magazine with a
multi-channel strategy employing print, web, email, social
and mobile tactics.
• When introduced, LMU Magazine was the first university
magazine in the world to have an iPad app.
• The magazine continues to win numerous national CASE
awards, including gold distinctions for best overall magazine
in the country in its circulation category.
The Situation

14. • Clean up implementation, reduce number of templates, and
create code snippets that could be reused in TERMINALFOUR.
• Address and optimize the information architecture.
• Redesign LMU.edu and affiliated sites to better communicate
what is unique about LMU and its programs to prospective
students.
• Better align the website’s focus on main brand attributes:
academic excellence, LA, and Jesuit education.
• Launch key areas of the site by August 2015.
Project Goals

15. II. Creative Approach

16. Charting a Creative Course
• Both concepts consisted of dynamic interfaces that told a story and
pushed conventional web experiences.
• Each direction explored the use of one primary brand color (red/blue).
• Knowing that LMU was developing a drone video for marketing
purposes, mStoner designers created concepts that featured full
screen media.

19. • After seeing strong uses of red versus blue, it was decided
to pursue a direction that used color as an accent.
• Neutral colors work better to showcase vivid photography
and video.
• Our concepts gave confidence that we could create an
website that relies heavily on photography and video as
narrative devices.
Feedback

20. • Seeing content in a visual way prompted further
consideration and needs.
• We were asked to:
• Develop a system that showcases a variety of content
with equal hierarchies.
• Ensure that the system is planned for future additions
and changes.
• Organize content in a smart and intuitive way.
Feedback

21. The final product…

23. III. Implementation

24. • Focus on high quality code & mobile experience.
• Uses “Programmable layouts” design template alters
based on size and quantity of content or navigation.
• Conversion Focused – Across all pages.
• Quality Program / Course Content a priority.
New Approaches to Implementation

25. • Call outs and conversion links on all pages.
Focus on Conversation and Measurement

27. • TERMINALFOUR v8 includes strong conversion and
dashboard features:
• Personalization, A/B Testing & Reporting Dashboards.
• LMU preparing for their migration to v8.
• Goodbye vanity metrics.
• Helps focus their web strategy on tangible results.
• This approach with other clients has seen an increase
in inquiries by 15-32%.
Focus on Conversation and Measurement

28. • An easy experience for prospective students:
• Dynamic filtering.
• Search by degree / area of study / college.
• Instant program overviews.
• Focus on fantastic mobile experience.
• Potential to link directly into Ellucian product sets.
• Quality program descriptions – high degree of satisfaction.
Quality Course / Program Content

30. IIII. Questions

31. Piero Tintori
@pierotintori
piero.tintori@terminalfour.com
Mike Schulz
@schulzmk
mike.schulz@mstoner.com