Wilfrid Laurier University conducted a user experience (UX) focused web renewal to transform their digital experience and internal processes. Through research including interviews, surveys, focus groups and analytics, they identified themes around integration of systems, personalization, academic content and communication. This informed the design of the new website architecture and prototypes, which were tested. The renewed website launched with increased traffic, enrollment and positive feedback compared to the legacy site. Key lessons included prioritizing joint leadership, communication and establishing a permanent web team.

1. UX for Higher Ed:
Web Renewal with a
User-Focused Approach

2. • Why did we do a web
renewal
• User-Focused Approach
• Discover, Define,
Design, Develop,
Deliver
• Research Methodology,
Themes and Application
• Fulfillment and Key
Lessons

3. Who we are
Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading Canadian
university known for academic excellence and a
culture that inspires lives of leadership and purpose.
19,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Campuses in Waterloo, Brantford, and Milton as well
as locations in Kitchener, Toronto and China.

4. Why do UX?
• Move beyond the anecdotes
• Data driven decisions
• Think beyond the looks
• Formulate a vision of what our users
wanted their digital experience to be

5. • Looks Good
• Visually appealing
• Responsive/adaptive design
• Works on all browsers and devices
• Feels Good
• Easy to use and navigate
• Content is fresh and up-to-date
• Benefit after the first visit
• Users can find it/SEO
• AODA compliant
What makes a good website?

6. Why? Our Site was “Not Good, Bad”

7. Legacy site =
300,000pages

8. How are three websites easier than one?

9. Started from the top….
• Advisory and
Steering Groups
• Cargo Ships,
Not Speed boats
• Imagine the
possibilities
How did we get the buy-in?

10. • Alignment with
Institutional Priorities
• Collaboration and
Partnerships
• Over-communicate
• Thank-you AODA!
Not easy =
it requires two slides

11. How did we do it?
“And this mess is so big
And so deep and so tall,
We cannot pick it up.
There is no way at all!”
- Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

12. Development Scope

13. Conducted research and exercises to assess the
behaviours, attitudes and feelings related to the
online experience
• Interviews
• Online Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Contextual Inquiry
• Analytics Review
• Competitive Analysis
UX Phase 1: Discover

14. Challenge: Limited Resourcing and Funding

15. Thank You
Ambassadors, Support
Services and Friends!
• Qualitative data
• Answers how & why
• Identifies themes
• Various backgrounds
• Ran multiple sessions
• Between 5-8 questions
FOCUS GROUPS

16. Thank You
Learning Management
Software Notification!
• Quantitative data
• Identify facts
• Generally easy and
quick to answer
• Anonymity was key
• 15-17 questions
ONLINE SURVEY

17. Ask for help if you need it!
Thank You
Learning Management
Software Notification!

18. Thank You
Coffee…
• Numbers!
• Search Terms
• Key periods in cycles
• Able to tell you the what….
But not the why
ANALYTICS

19. Thank You
All of you beautiful people!
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

20. • Business, User & Technical Requirements
• Card Sorting (Open and Closed)
• Persona/User Maps
• Draft Information Architecture and Navigation
• Tree testing
• User Flows
UX Phase 2: Define

21. Business Requirements
• Tool that is flexible & customizable
• Access to edit content
• Consideration for unique needs & existing processes
• Canadian data hosting
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Technical Landscape
• 1000s of unique applications, tools, & forms
• Consideration for larger, existing technical architecture & ecosystem
• Avoid duplication & plan for future tools & processes
Business & Technical Requirements

22. Themes Became User Requirements
• Integration of systems
• Personalization
• Academic content
• Communication
• Non-academic content
• News, events,
important dates
• Information architecture
and design
PERSONALIZATION INTEGRATION
Personalization of
news, links, etc.
Concerned
about personalization
Personalized academic content
from LORIS, MyLS
- courses, grades, schedule
References to mylaurier.ca
- used first year only
Health &
Dental
Student Union/
Publications
Athletics
Career and
Coop
SINGLE SIGN ON
DESIGN
Attractive
- like wlu.ca, photos,
videos, colour
Responsive Readability
ACCESS TO SYSTEMS
Quick links to LORIS, MyLS,
Email from new homepage
Decline in use
related to lack
of content & SSO
Solution for leveraging
MyLS and email as communication
tools related to proposed IA solution
Don’t want to miss
out on content
Relates to integration
of academic, non-academic
and extracurricular content
PAINPOINTS/FRUSTRATIONS
Complaints about legacy
& system, and resorting to
using Google
Complaints re:
old content
Survey: What information would you expect to
find on a site for current students?
Academic-related content - 44.62%
Non-academic supports/services - 21.15%
News, Events, Updates - 14.53%
Extra-curricular or personal interest - 7.67%
Personalized content - 5.99%
Survey: What items do you
want on a new homepage?
News, Events, Updates - 21%
Access to LORIS, email, MyLS - 12.5%
Personalized content - 7.5%
Survey: What page or element
do you want to keep from legacy?
Nav w/ tabs & search - 15%
Survey: What content are you looking for most
often on legacy? Academic Calendar & Dates,
Course Info & Progression Req - 83.22%
Give up &
talk to someone
in person
End up in Brantford
content
Frustrations with
LORIS
Don’t use
faculty/dept page
on legacy
Brantford needs
own homepage/site
CONTENT
Financial Info
First Year
Experience
Content/News
based on
student cycle Contact Info
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Content related to
processes should
be together
DeclutterSimplicity
Easy to navigate
Clear
labels
Broad
categories
COMMUNICATING IMPORTANT ACADEMIC-RELATED
NEWS AND INFORMATION - PROFS, DEPTS, FACULTIES
Want all profs to be
required to use MyLS for
course content & updates
Students like
MyLS notifications
Want profs to use
MyLS notifications
Want faculty/program to
use MyLS notifications
Profs should email or
MyLS for news
and updates
Use social media
to find news/events
Students expect
info to come to them,
don’t seek it out
Like weekly
email newsletters
Don’t like MyLS email system
Use of MyLS by students - 93.68% everyday, 5.97% weekly
Frustrated with
volume of email
Want to know what’s
happening on campus
Announce
important dates
Provide
links to social
media for news
& events
ACADEMIC CONTENT -
REQUIREMENTS & COURSES
Progression Requirements
-need them, can’t find them
Course selection process
should be easier
VSB feedback- good, but
better w/ LORIS integration
Course related content
should be together
- descriptions, offerings,
requirements
Requirements
for options &
streams
Want more
detailed course
info - outlines,
syllabus
Link to Current Academic Calendar
NEWS, EVENTS, IMPORTANT DATES
Too Many Sites,
confusing system of multiple sites

23. Deliverables

24. Thank You
Faculties of: Arts, Human and Social
Sciences, and Liberal Arts!
CARD SORT
• Influence information
architecture and
navigation
• Mental model of user
• Open, Closed,
and Hybrid Sorts
• Off and On-line using
Optimal Sort

25. • Information architecture
• Wireframes & Basic Prototypes
• Screen Design and Prototypes
UX Phase 3: IA & Design

26. Thank you
Co-op helpers, Ambassadors,
Computer Science Students
USABILITY TESTING
• Cognitive walkthrough and
low-fidelity prototyping
• Following research and IA
processes, developed
wireframes and simple
prototypes to show
stakeholders interaction
design and test with users

27. User testing with Prototypes

28. • User Testing with Operational System
• Editor Training
• SEO & Analytics
• Launch Site
UX Phases 4/5: Develop and Deliver

29. Results? Not bad, “Good”
Website Traffic
• wlu.ca: 1,413,000 users last year
+24% year one | +15% year two
• students.wlu.ca: 453,000 users last year
212,000 sessions last year
• connect.wlu.ca: 9,600 users since launch
4,000 average daily page views

30. Results? Not bad, “Good”
Increased Enrolment
• First year after launch: +21.7% acceptances.
• Second year after launch: +7.4% acceptances.
Plus +16.5% first choice picks.
• Third year after launch: +16.1% acceptances.

31. Lessons Learned
UX=Content
Thank you
Editors!

32. Staffing “Opportunities”
Web Services (Ext. Relations)
• Web Director
• Sr. Content Specialist
• Content Specialists (2)
• Content Coordinator
• UX Manager
• UX Designer/Analyst
• UI Designer
• Business Analyst
Web Team (ICT)
• Dir. ICT Enterprise
Solutions
• Web Manager
• Web Developers (4)

33. ICT/Marketing Partnership
Key Lessons
• Joint leadership & ownership critical
• JIRA ticketing + Daily Huddles
• Ongoing web team size and partnership structure remains the
same to ensure the continued evolution of the web properties

34. Key Lesson: Never enough
• Top-down; DAC/VPAC/manager presentations
• Grassroots; Super users and community builders
• Ongoing communications plan
• Frequent emails
• Project website on legacy then intranet
• Direct outreach to departments
Communication

35. The Future of Laurier Online
• A cohesive, online community
• Centralized web governance
• Ongoing community training & support
• Clean architecture, modern design & user experience
An online presence that keeps getting better…
• Ongoing feedback, analytics & optimization
• Permanent web content and development team
• Fostering a culture of digital knowledge & use

36. Why did we do UX?
Transform the experience of the user:
From: needing to understand the internal structure
To: finding content based on needs and expectations
From: sorting through content for all audiences
To: content relevant to their current experience
Transform internal processes:
From: organizing information based on the internal structure
To: organizing based on the needs and expectations
From: providing the same content for all audiences
To: presenting the information to the appropriate audience on
the appropriate platform

37. Thank You!
QUESTIONS?Emily Lowther | elowther@wlu.ca | @EmilyALowther
Web Services | webservices@wlu.ca | @Laurier