Sinclair Community College’s website redesign could have been done by an outside firm, but e-marketing manager Ed Vanderbush saw an opportunity.
“I really wanted a website that felt like it spoke to the students and represented the students,” said Vanderbush.
Work began on the site in September of 2007. Vanderbush wanted to include students and faculty in the process and approached Visual Communications chairperson Shari Rethman to find the right people for the job.
“We actually met with the entire Visual Communications faculty,” said Vanderbush.
A capstone course was created and four students were handpicked to be involved, based on the student’s abilities and career goals.
The faculty side included: Kyle Fisk, Cynthia Cully, Amanda Romero and Adam Thompson.
“They led four students who each came up with their own design concepts and pitched those concepts to me and certain people on my team,” said Vanderbush.
The students who worked on the project were: Janell Broering, Brian Gerhardstein, Chhaya Kim and Tiffany Wildermuth.
“We put those concepts in front of everyone and anyone who would look at them. They were all very good, but we finally picked one,” said Vanderbush.
“It really was a win-win situation for the students, college and everyone involved,” said Kyle Fisk.
Once a concept was picked, the students began collaborating on the hammering out the details of what the site would become.
“We took small elements of each design,” said Vanderbush. “It was a great process. The insight the students brought was something that I don’t think any outside agency could have gotten.”