The First BS in UX in KY

I’m delighted to announce WKU is launching the first Bachelor of Science in User Experience degree in Kentucky.

With my colleagues Mark Simpson, Kristina Arnold, and Michael Galloway, we embarked on an ambitious journey to launch a program that was not only in a new and novel discipline (UX), but a major that crosses colleges (Potter College of Arts and Letters and Ogden College of Science and Engineering).

Since the inner workings of higher education are not the most glamorous, this case study focuses on the promotion and outreach.

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Webpage Redesign

A New UX, for a New UX (Program)

The homepage for Western Kentucky University’s (WKU) UX offerings serves as the digital front door for students, faculty, and industry professionals seeking information about the programs.

However, the previous webpage had zero imagery, let alone faculty, news, and advising resources. This redesign aimed to enhance usability, accessibility, and visual appeal while ensuring the site aligns with modern web design practices and follows WKU’s style guide. The site is geared towards the users: prospective and current UX students.

This webpage is built using Modern Campus CMS.

Before

After

Visit Site
Social

Telling Students

Figuring out how to communicate the news to students was daunting, but if there’s one thing I know from UX, it’s to speak your users’ language.

Bear in mind that this was the effort of a scrappy team of one (me), whose main job is not social media, with a budget of $0.

And if there is one thing Western students love, it’s Topper Fella.

Topper Fella is part social experience, scavenger hunt, and collectible. It’s an absurd, 3D-printed figurine hidden around the nooks and crannies of campus, and the creator remains anonymous.

To know Topper Fella is to love Topper Fella.

Topper Fella was (willingly and lovingly) exploited on the Department of Art & Design’s Instagram, our student-facing social platform.

Results

The results? The posts earned views well beyond our average: over 100% higher than our typical posts. We also engaged with people who weren’t already following us.

As they say, the best social media strategy is often the most unhinged.

Future Plans

Future Plans

  • Utilizing an advertising budget to market the new degree
  • Adding more content to the webpage, such as alumni testimonials, student portfolios, and industry outlook information