Student’s Association SLC Kingston
"Voice of the Students."
In the world of higher education, student engagement is key. But what happens when your brand itself needs to re-engage with its audience? This was the question at the heart of the St. Lawrence College SA rebranding project.
Category
Brand Development
User Experience Research
Photography
Website Design
Industry
Non-Profit
Team
Brand Designer
UX Researcher & Web Designer
Photographer
Graphic Designer
Marketing Coordinator
The Challenge
The Student’s Association for St. Lawrence College Kingston Campus was looking to refresh their presence on Campus. The previous branding was over a decade old, and the SA board decided that a new visual identity and language was needed. We partnered with the Students Association to reimagine their brand and construct a new website that both aligned with the updated branding, and also featured an updated information architecture to help students find the information they need in the fewest clicks possible.
The Process
Rebranding an established institution is always a delicate balance between maintaining the mission, vision, values and identity, with the creation of something new and exciting. Uniquely to this project was the heavy involvement of students on both sides, many whom had no prior branding experience. Our designer, Dhanesha (Dash) steered the highly collaborative journey, moving from diverse moodboards to establish the general tone and feeling, into concepts, always honing the visual direction and culiminating in the final brand logo and visual language.
In parallel with the early stages of the brand development, we started our UX research, conducting a card sort to identify how students mentally categorized topics, based on the desired page topics for the new website. Over 230 students from the Kingston Campus participated in the online card sort study. After Kara analyzed the results of the card sort study we developed the Tree-Test to test out our navigation and information heirarchy hypothesis. Over 180 students participated in the tree-test, providing us with clear direction on the preferred structure of the website.
Based on the research conducted, we then developed the wireframe for each page of the website. After the Students Association team approved the wireframes, we then prototyped the primary pages implementing the new branding and visual language in the first expression of the visual language beyond the logo. In collaboration with the Students Association, we refined the site's design within the prototype. During the prototyping stage, we invested a significant amount of time to ensure all colours and fonts used on the website adhered to accessibility best practices. Once the prototype was approved, and the design established, site construction began.
To align with the new visual language for the Students Association, new headshots were needed. Our internal design team and photographer established the creative brief for the SA to follow for the shoot. We conducted three separate shoots, using a studio within the college to capture the images needed for the website, as well as email signature blocks.
The final stage of the website development we conductedstress testing the site for any broken links, typos, missing images and documents, implementing on-page SEO, and connecting Google Analytics.
The Solution
We delivered the new brand identity, style guide and launched the new website in time for the start of the 2024 Fall semester. Students and staff of the Student’s Association, as well as members of the broader college community recieved the updated branding and visual direction with great enthusiasm.
“Working with Spark on our logo development, rebrand, and website creation has been an exceptional experience. From start to finish, their team demonstrated a high level of professionalism and expertise. Each step of the project was handled with meticulous attention to detail, and they consistently met all deadlines with efficiency and precision.
Their staff were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly responsive and accommodating, making the entire process smooth and enjoyable. The end results exceeded our expectations, reflecting both the quality of their work and their commitment to our vision. We are more than pleased with the new branding and website.”
Company Assets
The company's assets serve as an impressive showcase, seamlessly integrating the identity system across diverse media platforms and collateral materials. With remarkable consistency and visual coherence, each asset reflects the brand's unique identity, leaving a lasting impression on the target audience. From captivating digital presentations to print materials like brochures and business cards, the identity system adapts flawlessly, reinforcing brand recognition and establishing a strong market presence.
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