UCR
"I specifically sought out Web Advanced's expertise for the UC Riverside Living the Promise branding/image campaign. After working with them on several highly successful web projects at UC Irvine, I felt that they had the right blend of branding, strategy and vision to bring to this very high-priority project at UCR. Andrew, Vic, and their teams exceeded expectations on all fronts. The designs we ultimately chose from Web Advanced for the website led the rest of the branding effort for the campaign (print, advertising, etc.) The website received lots of praise from both senior faculty and the highest levels of administration at UC Riverside. This was not a routine or "by-the-book" project by any means. We were all very impressed with how the site turned out and the hard work & diligence Web Advanced put into each phase."
- Jon Masciana, Director of Web Development at University of California, Riverside.
THE CHALLENGE
Transforming a Brand UC Riverside, one of 10 campuses in the prestigious UC system, faced a major challenge in trying to upgrade their outdated brand image to one that was more reflective of both the innovative research being carried on within the school and the distinguished faculty performing this research. They developed a comprehensive brand campaign to improve their reputation among key influencers such as university deans and professors, business leaders, and government officials. As a part of this campaign, UCR challenged us to create a focused microsite that communicated both the innovative quality and societal benefits of their research in a way that enhanced their brand.
THE SOLUTION
  |
Creating a Visually Impactful Design that Personifies the Essence of the UCR Brand Image
To change and enhance perceptions of the UCR brand, we needed to find a way to communicate their image in a bold and unconventional way that captured the attention of key influencers. We coupled innovative photography with Flash interactivity to increase visual impact throughout the “Living the Promise” home page. UCR was so pleased with how we captured the essence of their brand that they ultimately used our web images in much of their print ad campaign. |
| |
|
Telling the Story of UCR's Innovative Research in an Engaging and Interesting Way
If not managed correctly, research information on a university website can be a pretty dry and dismal read. Our challenge was to present the story of the three pillars of UCR's research – sustainability, health and technology – in a way that broke from conventional, academic approaches. In fact, we wanted our storytelling to be as bold and innovative as the graphic design we created. So, for example, we used interactive navigation and unconventional design to introduce each of the 3 research pillars. In our storytelling, we highlighted not only the real benefits of the research, but also brought the human element into the story by talking about, and to, the scientists performing this work. |
OmniUpdate Content Management System
Adobe Flash/Actionscript 3.0