This web design project was a collaborative effort between:
Rob Miller, Copywriter
Nathan Procknow, Design Lead
Sriprae McDonald, Designer
Pam Dempsey, Designer

Introduction

SMU wanted a new design for their SMU Professional & Online (PRO) site. We were tasked to present comps for the Home page and the Cybersecurity page. Based on the design they selected we would then design the rest of the site.

For this project I was assigned the task to design a couple of concepts for the Home and Cybersecurity pages: 1) The Legacy and 2) The Future. Pam Dempsey was assigned to design concepts for 3) The Educators.

Inspiration

I searched university websites for design inspiration.

Loyola Marymount University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bard Graduate Center

The Legacy

Time-honored. Deep-rooted. Well-established. We tap into SMU’s enduring tradition as a bastion of higher education – in Texas, the region and the U.S. – to deliver authenticity to the institution’s growing presence in professional and online education, as well as distinguish SMU Professional and Online from programs at other universities. This concept accentuates the power of SMU’s world-class reputation in building resumes, impressing potential employers and propelling careers.

Written by Rob Miller

The Future

The message is clear – SMU Professional and Online students are the future. For all of us. High spirited and full of potential, this generation of young professionals has its own way of communicating, working, succeeding and living. With this energetic concept, we bring the SMU Professional and Online educational experience to the target audience in a way that resonates immediately and places SMU firmly in their dynamic world. YOU are the future. With the power of SMU behind you, you’ll fly.

Written by Rob Miller

The Educators

There are other places for continuing education. There is one place that stands apart, firmly on the shoulders of its extraordinary educators – SMU Professional and Online. This concept goes right to the heart of the distinctive, world-class SMU education – the educators. Leaders in their fields. All in, fully engaged with their students. Knowing where their students are going and making sure they get there. Students witness the real impact world-class educators have on learning, succeeding and reaching potential. At SMU, the universal truth stands: knowledge is power.

Written by Rob Miller

Hero Image Design Exploration

We proposed to the client to create an original short video of a “day in the life” of an SMU PRO professor. We envisioned that this video would be the hero image for the home page. Thus, we explored how it should be designed and what the corresponding graphics should look like.

The Selected Comps

The client selected The Future concept, and they loved The Educator cybersecurity program page hero image design. Thus, after several rounds of revisions, these were the end results.