Western Colorado University

Background

Western Colorado University was at a pivotal moment. Fueled by an $80 million philanthropic gift from alumnus Paul M. Rady to help establish a new School of Computer Science and Engineering, the university had an opportunity to do more than launch a new academic offering. It had an opportunity to redefine how the institution presented itself to prospective students, families, alumni, faculty, and the broader market.

The design agency I was working at partnered with Western to lead that transformation from the ground up. What began as a website redesign evolved into a much broader brand and digital initiative spanning strategy, storytelling, UX, custom development, SEO, paid media, analytics, and ongoing growth support. The goal was to create a more modern and cohesive university experience that could better communicate the value of a high-quality education in the Rocky Mountains and convert that story into measurable enrollment growth.

The Challenge

Western's digital ecosystem had ballooned to over 3,000 unmanageable pages while trying to serve a fractured audience of prospective students, parents, alumni, and donors. The legacy platform failed to reflect the university's evolving brand, created major navigational friction, and lacked a scalable foundation to support long-term enrollment and conversion goals.

The Solution

• Discovery & Alignment: Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders, faculty, and students to define the university's core differentiators and shape a unified brand direction.

• Systems & Strategy: Developed a comprehensive 63-page brand guide alongside a rigorous UX foundation featuring 5 key personas, 15 user flows, journey mapping, and a complete site audit.

• Long-Term Impact: Replaced a fragmented digital presence with a scalable, intentional framework designed to continuously support enrollment and conversion goals.