News

March 17, 2011

IRVINE, CA – Earthbound Media Group (EMG) is pleased to announce the launch of Hood College’s new website at www.hood.edu. The redesigned and redeveloped website is built using Ektron’s CMS 400.NET which implements some of the latest tools and features available for managing content, photo galleries, and online applications and forms. Knowing that its website is its primary and most important recruiting and information tool, Hood College sought EMG’s expertise and assistance in creating an updated web presence that would accurately reflect its commitment to its students and the global community, clearly illustrate its outstanding academic programs, showcase its beautiful campus, provide easier navigation and better access to all needed information and contain fresh content that communicates a cohesive message.

Kicking off the complete site redevelopment, EMG started with in-depth audits of the college’s current website and all marketing materials. EMG crafted the overall look and structure of the new site, including design and information architecture, using information gathered while administering focus groups consisting of stakeholders and current students. From there EMG developed a widespread content migration plan ensuring that none of Hood’s vast amounts of content on their current site was lost during the redevelopment, while also improving the organization of that content.

The entire year-long project was a collaborative effort between EMG and Hood College with Dave Diehl, Hood College’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, leading the way throughout. It was Diehl who knew the importance of solidifying his institution’s online presence, which led him to seek out EMG, a proven and award-winning force in higher education online marketing.

“The team at EMG set the bar high for themselves with their reputation as online marketing experts,” said Diehl. “I was impressed with EMG’s blend of form and function. Hood College’s website is a gateway for many important transactions, both informational and fiscal, that help our institution run. EMG understood that and developed a website that both visually represents Hood as a vibrant learning environment and supports Hood institutionally.”

EMG designed custom components such as an enhanced calendar of events, a comprehensive and searchable course catalog, an easy-to-use online application, and start pages for each of Hood College’s primary audiences. These start pages easily guide current students, prospective students, alumni & friends, faculty & staff and parents & family through the website to desired destinations using personalized quick links. The creation of these start pages was meant to specifically address and enable each audience, funneling them to pertinent and necessary information.

Conducting on-site Ektron training and delivering a straightforward step-by-step Ektron user’s manual, EMG equipped Hood team members with the ability to easily edit and update content without any prior programming knowledge.However, the site also features a unique ability to permit the college’s experienced programmers to customize templates to their own specifications to allow for scalability, which is of utmost importance in the ever-changing and evolving online landscape.

“A huge part of the success of this project was Chris Chilcoat’s (Hood’s Website Manager) knowledge of programming and Dave Diehl’s thorough planning and management,” said EMG’s developer, Elias Pettengil. “It was a luxury to have people on the client end that were able to understand EMG’s customized templates and overall design strategy. It was truly an effective partnership that helped move the site further along in the right direction."

Hood College’s new site, designed with users in mind, utilizes navigation that is task based and audience based using unique start pages and menus. Every one of the website’s more than 1,000 pages shares one clear and consistent message of quality education, strong community and the importance of lifelong learning. Ultimately, the end-to-end redesign maintains Hood College’s vision of providing the maximum level of educational standards with an emphasis on a campus communal life. See for yourself at www.hood.edu.

About EMG

EMG is a one-of-a-kind, technology-driven strategic marketing agency. Our singular goal is to evolve the digital and visual landscapes of business for corporations, brands and non-profits worldwide.

As a leader in the marketplace, EMG has single-handedly set a benchmark for complexity, creativity and vitality in the solutions we have provided for both our partners and clients alike.

About Hood College

Hood College prepares students to excel in meeting the personal, professional and global challenges of the future. Hood is committed to the integration of the liberal arts, the professions and technology, to the exploration of values, a sense of community and to the preparation of students for lives of responsibility and leadership.