The approach

The redesign was co-designed with students from the outset, using focus groups drawn from a range of demographics. Working in collaboration with the Students’ Association, the college established a series of focus groups representing a diverse cross-section of the student population, including learners from different programme levels and students whose first language was not English.  Some groups met once, others several times, with incentives offered in the form of voucher draws or pizza lunches. These focus groups played a key role in shaping both the content and functionality of the new onboarding portal and Welcome Hub. Students were invited to identify potential barriers within existing processes and to suggest ways of making information more accessible and meaningful. As a result, the design of the landing page and overall user journey was directly created through student partnership.  

The focus groups highlighted a range of student priorities. Students wanted the ability to track the progress of practical things that mattered to them, such as the arrival of their student card or the status of their funding application. Similarly, they were looking for practical information, including induction day timetables, campus maps, and transport information and other resources that would support a smooth transition into college. Neurodivergent students, in particular, valued being able to see photographs of lecturers alongside their names, as this provided reassurance and helped them navigate unfamiliar environments with greater confidence.

The students also help codesign the language used in the new system. Students flagged terminology that was opaque to them, such as “matriculation”. Content was rewritten using clearer more student friendly language: “your network account” became “your access to college systems,” and a button labelled “your network account” was simply relabelled “your password,” because a password reset was what students were looking for when they clicked it. Even the text messages sent about bursary payments were reviewed, as students described these as too short and blunt, then helped rewrite these messages while staying within the constraints of text length. 

A defining principle of the new system was that it had to be self-service. Students were frequently accessing information outside office hours and emailing questions at times when no support was available to answer them. They would get stuck on key processes; for example, a student might have to obtain a P60 from a family member when they didn't know what a P60 was or where to find one. To address this, the college created a series of short explainer videos, some as brief as ten seconds, walking students through key processes and unfamiliar terms. Others tackled more conceptual questions, such as why students should attend induction and what it is actually for. The system also links through to the college's Welcome Hub, which houses around 40 how-to guides.