​Georgetown University Law Center​

Designing for longevity

​Georgetown University Law Center​

Home page design

Established in 1870, Georgetown University Law Center is the second largest law school in the United States, and receives more full-time applications than any other law school in the country.

On the heels of our redesign of the primary Georgetown University website, Happy Cog was engaged by the Georgetown University Law Center to redesign their own web presence.

The previous version of the GU Law website can be described as a “link farm.” The homepage and landing pages linked to seemingly everywhere, with no real content supporting navigation choices.

Happy Cog’s effort began by performing a comprehensive information architecture audit, after which we provided in-depth recommendations on how to maximize the findability/discoverability of site content through site mapping and wireframes. These artifacts were presented in an on site information architecture workshop. We also proposed a number of content modules to provide structure and predictability to content types, and identifies new ways to surface content.

After our content strategy and information architecture work, we designed several aesthetic concepts for GU Law to evaluate. After GU Law chose an aesthetic direction, Happy Cog designed HTML/CSS templates for key page types. The templates were then handed over to the GU Law tech team to implement into their content management system.

In 2015, Happy Cog was invited back to GU Law to administer a responsive design workshop to teach the institution the foundational principles of responsive web design.

What we did

  • Content Strategy
  • Design & Branding
  • Development
  • Front-end Development
  • Information architecture

Industry

  • Higher Education
GUlaw-comp-campuslife

To foster a vibrant community amongst very and focused law students, it was important the website makes ways of getting involved in extracurriculars easy to find.

GUlaw-comp-faculty

Visitors can browse Georgetown Law faculty by their area of expertise, name, lectures, and more. Any details relevant for a student (such as contact information and office hours) can be found on their faculty bio page.

GUlaw-comp-center

Research centers have their own pages on the Georgetown Law website. Each center landing page details their goals, faculty & fellows, and ways of getting involved.

GUlaw-comp-alumni

Just like most higher ed institutions, it was important we focus on encouraging giving and creating a network of alumni. These initiatives are extremely important in order to honor the school's legacy and create a strong community of Georgetown Law's successful former students.