Sheena McFarland
October 30, 2024
The Reed College website redesign earned a coveted gold award from the University & College Designers Association (UCDA).
The UCDA is the only design association focused solely on educational institutions. Its Design Awards is an annual competition that recognizes the best of exceptional design and creative work. This year, judges reviewed 950 entries from across the United States and around the world, with only 25 entries receiving a gold award.
The award honors the multi-year effort to redesign the Reed College website to ensure that users have a more accessible and welcoming experience. The project was completed by an interdisciplinary team at Reed that included staff from both Public Affairs and IT. Led by Aimée Sisco, director of web & digital strategy, and Jason Parker, director of web support services, the team collaborated with Carnegie, a nationally recognized firm that focuses on higher education marketing and enrollment strategy.
The team interviewed dozens of current and prospective Reed students, faculty, and staff and partnered with colleagues across the campus to ensure the user experience was central to the new website redesign.
“The endeavor brought together team members and captured insights from across our college community,” said Valerie Moreno, chief information and security officer. “Every department and individual involved contributed to creating a site that truly reflects the spirit and values of our institution."