Per Scholas offers no-cost technical training to diverse communities around the country, and builds connections between its graduates and companies looking to hire. Their website had a dated look & feel, and it was very text-heavy and internally-focused, making it hard for potential students and partners to understand what Per Scholas does, and see how to get involved. Per Scholas needed a new site to help them show their value to students, partners, and funders, and increase the number and quality of student applications.
Together, Teal and Per Scholas shifted the focus of their website, creating a streamlined experience that is driven by the needs of potential students, clearly communicates what Per Scholas does and why their work matters, and is optimized to drive conversions.
We began with a robust UX research phase. Through stakeholder and audience interviews and developing a set of personas, we were able to understand the needs of Per Scholas’ diverse audiences. Our research told us that a successful user experience should be centered around the potential student applicant. Showcasing the experience that students have with Per Scholas helps drive conversions by proving the organization’s value to donors and partners.
Together with Per Scholas, Teal streamlined the experience of the website, putting students and potential students at the center. The look & feel is simple, bright, and active to appeal to a young demographic, and we chose authentic photos that capture the diversity of Per Scholas students engaged in classroom work.
The redesign also aimed to:
- Make it easy for potential students to find and learn about courses available where they live
- Use easy-to-read, student-focused language, supplemented with engaging visuals
- Highlight the stories of real students, and leverage them as brand ambassadors. By showing the impact that Per Scholas has on real lives, we can prove the value they have to offer in a tangible and engaging way
- Lift up opportunities to partner with Per Scholas
- Consider the mobile experience, since many students use their mobile devices to access the web
Teal streamlined the site’s navigation to create clear pathways for people to find the information that’s most relevant to them – based on audience type, location, and course subject.
We created custom illustrations to add an element of personality to the site and showcase the diversity of Per Scholas’ community
Per Scholas courses are customized to grow specific skills and address employer needs. Teal created flexible component-based course pages that enable the Per Scholas team to custom-craft individual course pages.
We also designed skylines of Per Scholas locations to showcase their reach and personalize the user experience.
