The Project

A giant in Brazilian education. Revamped.

Redesigning the portal of one of the country's largest universities is no easy task. In Estácio's case, it was challenging but rewarding. In an 18-month project, we worked on everything from the identity to the conversion funnel to deliver an efficient and beautiful platform that elevates the university's presence in the digital space. To understand the scale of the product, consider the 1,500 teaching units, over 500 courses, and nearly 3,000 pages that were live when we began the project. Back then, choosing the right course among so many options was much more difficult than it is now.

The Challenge

Education can rhyme with conversion

There were three main design challenges: identity, architecture, and conversion. A consensus among different departments on Estácio's essence was necessary before beginning to design its digital representation. The architectural challenge also required the participation of many stakeholders. Until 2020, Estácio's digital presence grew organically, with pages produced at different times becoming lost in disorganized structures. Finally, it was necessary to instill a conversion funnel mentality to increase the effectiveness of the campaigns. There was a feeling that they generated a lot of rejection, but we later understood that they were trying to sell, before even convincing some (potential) students. 92% of visitors, not students of the institution, left the portal on the page with the call for registration. Convincing prospects would involve enriching the content about the courses and Estácio itself and positioning Estácio at an indisputably higher level in the digital strategy practiced in the education industry.

The Process

Opening the toolbox: Focus on research methods

The project began with a formal usability test of the previous solution, conducted in three capital cities with young adults as they were deciding on a higher education program. The insights were incredibly rich, both regarding the motivators for college decisions and the identification of pain points and feelings involved in the decision-making process through to enrollment. The main discovery was the central importance of how to find courses and the content available about them. Consolidating the findings into a user journey provided greater clarity on student's needs and challenges from the moment they decide to attend college until finalizing their enrollment. An in-depth analysis of the old website's metrics was also useful. Metrics and usability testing complemented each other, forming a solid foundation of knowledge for the product design. A third source of insights came from the four generative sessions attended by approximately 60 members from various areas of Estácio. The result was strong alignment on identity and business, an essential foundation for the ideation, structure, and visual design work that would follow.

Product Key

Guiding the user from doubt to certainty

Special attention was given to the conversion funnel, whose central point, according to the research, is course selection. Introducing the conversion funnel approach to a university website isn't as trivial as it may seem, but the fact is that it's necessary to convince the student before sending them to an enrollment form. We started with three main groups of personas: the determined, the undecided, and the lost. The homepage features a module that initiates these three flows through a conversational design solution. The conversational solution was complemented by what we called the "Netflix of courses," a page that organized course selection with filters and editorial groupings, such as "courses under 4 years" or "for those who hate math." The huge number of available options became more user-friendly, and the flow improved considerably.

The Solution

A unified and engaging experience. A "Netflix" of courses.

The new portal meets the needs of those seeking admission to college, no matter what stage of their journey they're at. More determined users are quickly directed to a simplified registration form, focusing on clarity and security during the enrollment process. Users still in the decision-making process are guided through the courses, campuses, and the benefits of becoming an Estácio student. Even the most lost visitors are helped with their questions. The style was designed to enhance the visual repertoire of young audiences, both in visual elements and in textual language. The design system placed the portal within the same repertoire of modules, with a consistent visual style, facilitating its evolution. We created content structures ready to absorb growing organic search traffic from potential audiences.

Results

Focus on conversion