Beyond Birkenstocks
Vermont Law School (VLS) produces some of the country's top environmental and social justice lawyers, but that's not all they're about. Located deep in rural Vermont, VLS's challenge is to attract a committed and passionate student body interested in a range of legal studies.
challenge
Establishing the school's brand positioning to broaden its appeal and reach while accurately portraying its close-knit, rural environment was a critical component of the website redesign project. Also pressing was the need to completely refocus and structure the site and provide enhanced content and features to better serve its target audience and other constituents.
solution
An intense phase of user research and analysis revealed serious issues with brand perception of the school and the effectiveness of its current website. A new strategy was developed that embraces the school's core attributes while positioning the benefits of its academic programs firmly on the global stage. The existing site was completely re-architected to better reflect the new brand positioning, facilitate information retrieval and dissemintation, and accommodate new and legacy content. Also key to the project's success was the selection and implementation of a robust content management system to support and streamline operations.

The site's interface was designed to reflect the school's unique qualities and environment and utilizes a color palette and imagery taken directly from the Vermont countryside. Extensive, dense content and data are supported by a design that emphasizes simplicity of use and provides plenty of breathing room. A detailed design system, coupled with robust CMS templates, accommodates a wide range of content types and will enable the school to maintain and expand the site over time.
Role
  • Creative direction and client relationship management
  • Research, analysis and strategy leadership
  • Information architecture oversight
  • Concept development
  • Interface design oversight
  • Interface development oversight
  • Technical partnership management
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Vermont Law School