UCAS |
One front door for every kind of applicant: the research behind UCAS.com’s new structure
UCAS.com serves very different groups of students, and the site was making each of them work too hard. Box UK’s research showed how each group looks for information and shaped the new site structure.
20
hours of moderated testing
81
card-sorting participants
77
session recordings analysed
12
months of analytics reviewed
In short
UCAS.com is where students research courses and apply to university in the UK, and it serves many different student groups. UCAS was moving to a new CMS and wanted the new site built on evidence of how those groups actually look for information.
- Box UK ran testing, card sorting, tree testing, analytics and session-recording analysis.
- We audited 51 key pages and benchmarked four comparable platforms.
- The research produced a new information architecture and a personalisation framework.
- The student portal moved to the homepage for immediate access.
- Recommendations fed directly into UCAS’s new CMS build.
Customer background
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, runs applications to higher education in the UK. Students use UCAS.com to research courses and apply, and they come to it from very different starting points.
The challenge
UCAS.com needed to serve many different student groups through one site, and each had to find its own route through content aimed at everyone.. UCAS was about to move to a new CMS and wanted the new site built on evidence of how people actually use it, not assumptions.
Our approach
We combined several research methods so We combined several research methods so no single one could mislead us. Each answered a different question.
How do students look for information? We ran 20 hours of user testing sessions, and 81 participants took part in card sorting, grouping content in the way that made sense to them. Their groupings showed how students naturally organise the site’s content, which became the basis for the new structure.
Does the proposed structure work? Before anything was built, 33 tree tests checked whether people could find what they needed in the new navigation paths.
What do students actually do on the site? We analysed 77 Hotjar session recordings and 12 months of analytics, to see real behaviour rather than what people said they did.
What’s there now, and what does UCAS need? We audited 51 key pages, recording 26 usability observations, and reviewed the site’s wider content architecture. Stakeholder interviews across UCAS made sure the recommendations would work for the organisation as well as its users.
What does good look like elsewhere? We reviewed four comparable platforms to benchmark the experience and identify approaches worth adopting. single one could mislead us:
What we recommended
- A new information architecture built from how users grouped content in card sorting, and checked with tree testing.
- Clearer routes for each student group, so each reaches its own content without wading through everyone else’s.
- The student portal moved to the homepage, for immediate access.
- A tagging and personalisation framework so the new CMS could show content relevant to each audience.
The outcome
UCAS went into its new CMS build with a site structure based on how its student groups actually look for information, and tested before anything was built. That meant the navigation, content tagging and personalisation could be designed into the new site from the start, rather than fixed after launch. The personalisation framework also gives UCAS something it can extend as its student groups change.
Frequently asked questions
Enough to see consistent patterns across each audience. For UCAS.com we combined 20 hours of testing, 81 card-sorting participants, 33 tree tests, 77 session recordings and 12 months of analytics.
Card sorting asks users to group content in a way that makes sense to them, which shapes the structure. Tree testing then checks whether people can find things in the proposed structure before it’s built.
Before the build, ideally. At UCAS the research fed into the new CMS development, so the structure and tagging were designed in rather than added later.
Research each audience separately, then give each a clear route to its own content while sharing what they have in common.
What this means
for your organisation
If your website serves several very different audiences, and it’s grown around your organisation rather than their questions, you’ll recognise UCAS’s starting point. It’s common in education, the public sector and membership bodies.
The fix starts with evidence. If you’re planning a redesign or a CMS move, send us a few lines about who uses your site. We’ll tell you which research would be worth doing first.
Talk to one of our digital experts
Federica Monticelli
UX Designer
Want to make your digital experiences feel effortless?
Federica blends Italian flair with British UX rigour to craft interfaces that feel effortless and intuitive. With a background in psychology and user experience, she’s passionate about understanding what makes users tick – and turning those insights into beautifully functional designs. Ready to turn user behaviour into better design?
Or call us on 020 7439 1900
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