The RMIT Next platform is about the future of teaching and learning – a place for the RMIT community to share ideas on what the university should be striving for in the next five years, and beyond.
Being about the future, RMIT required a site that reflected innovation in both design and technology; and an agency that could deliver both to the highest standard. They employed Rock Agency for the task because of a strong reputation for favoring UX design principles, and an integrated approach to working – one where development isn’t an afterthought to design, but embedded into the evolution of the site to, again, make the user experience the most important outcome.
RMIT Next is interactive, meaning it’s constantly collecting input from the broad RMIT community through online forums and conversations – people posting their ideas and comments. The real challenge in this scenario falls with how to organize and present information so that it doesn’t become messy and confusing as the site grows.
Knowing that the platform’s primary intention is for people to ‘have their say’, Rock Agency designed an innovative way to showcase the commentary to reflect importance and priority. The way in which people’s comments are presented is both elegant and easy to understand and has become one of the defining features of the site.
Rock Agency also knew, from the outset, that RMIT Next would need to support a huge amount of content and that, therefore, defining the site’s architecture would be crucial to its ongoing success. It needed to be easy to navigate, and flexible enough to support constant evolution without growing ‘messy’.
Most importantly, it also needed to be simple enough that RMIT could manage it themselves and feel confident to do so without compromising integrity. Best-practice UX design principles were employed to get it right – and the way the site’s handled its growth over time is a testament to why this kind of robust work on the structure is vital and worth the time.
Integrating SSO (Single Sign-On) for RMIT and Linkedin users was another feature Rock Agency added for ease of use, and it was all delivered within a tight timeline that the client was highly appreciative of.
Award Winning Work
In 2021, Rock Agency entered the Australian Web Awards for the first time, in six categories. Rock Agency was shortlisted for four of those categories – meaning they were included amongst the top five entries across Australia.
And, in the category of Best Education Website, Rock Agency won for RMIT Next. (They also won for Best eCommerce Website for Vandenberg Wines.)
In addition, Rock Agency also received a special discipline award for RMIT Next for Best Overall Content. It speaks to their passion for creating award-winning websites that keep the user in focus. Great content is the cornerstone for audience engagement and iterates their commitment to creating sites that value substance as much as style.
About Rock Agency
Rock Agency is an award-winning agency that believes in delivering a more personalized customer experience – they listen first, then work to become an extension of your team in the way that you need them. Fusing media, technology, and content, Rock Agency offers better website design, better website development, better social media content, better-paid search, and ultimately, better business results for you.
Services include Website Design And Development, Online and Social Media Marketing, SEO, and Branding.
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