Today we have launched a new homepage and study section of the Royal College of Music website. This is the first phase of an ongoing programme to reimagine our digital presence.
The bold design fully embraces the new RCM brand, which was launched in 2016, and conveys the vitality and creativity that you find when visiting the Royal College of Music in person.
We are approaching the redesign in stages, making improvements to some areas of the site first, rather than building everything in one go. This has allowed us to make changes more quickly, but will mean that the old website and the new layout will exist side-by-side for a while.
Designed for mobile first, the layouts work well across all devices.
What’s new?
A new study section
From research, we identified that the majority of visitors to our site want to learn more about studying at the Royal College of Music and this is the principle reason for updating this section first. Our new Study landing page showcases the top reasons to study at the RCM and provides quick links to other areas of the site.
The RCM offers a range of courses and fellowships. We have rethought how these are structured and presented to make it easier for prospective students to decide which option is right for them.
Our Faculties are at the heart of the RCM experience. These new pages feature insightful video content alongside engaging images to convey the dynamic environment students find here. We have also improved the presentation of our world-class professors, which we know are one of the most important aspects of studying at the RCM.
We are international
With more than 60% of our students coming from abroad, we are a truly international institution. To better reflect our student make-up we have created a new area for international students with tailored advice and guidance on everything from how to apply for a visa to travel, banking and guidance on living and studying in the UK.
Music takes centre stage
Through imbedded videos we showcase the breadth of music making that takes place at the Royal College of Music. On the homepage you can watch a recent performance of the RCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink and throughout the site you will find other inspiring videos of our students.
Improved navigation
We have also simplified the navigation, making it easier for users to quickly find the pages and content they are looking for. The decisions here are based on the areas we know users navigate to most frequently. You’ll also find some useful links in the footer.
While the new and old layouts exist side-by-side, the menus have been updated across both to ensure users can still navigate to all areas of the site.
What next?
As we have taken the decision not to rebuild the entire website all at once, there are some areas of the site that we have not looked at yet. These will be the focus for the next phases of work.
What do you think?
We would like to hear what you think about these changes so we can continue to improve. Please send your feedback to webmaster@rcm.ac.uk
Published on: 11 April 2017
