Unifying a Fragmented Student Digital Estate
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) engaged Spinbox to consolidate multiple student‑facing websites into a single, unified digital platform for the Office of Student Affairs. The objective was to create a modern, accessible, and student‑first website using the Sitefinity Content Management System (CMS), improving how students discover, access, and engage with support services.
At the outset, student information was fragmented across six independent websites, each managed separately and structured around departmental needs rather than student journeys. This resulted in inconsistent navigation, duplicated content, accessibility challenges, and limited visibility into student behaviour.
Spinbox was tasked with bringing these disparate sites together into one cohesive platform that aligned with KAUST’s wider digital ecosystem, improved accessibility and usability, and provided a scalable foundation for future growth.
Consolidating Student Services into One Platform
Spinbox delivered a comprehensive consolidation strategy built on Sitefinity CMS, combining deep platform expertise with a structured Agile approach across discovery, UX design, development, and testing.
Key aspects of the solution included:
- CMS Architecture: Enterprise-grade Sitefinity build supporting multiple departments in a single platform.
- Information Architecture: Content restructured around student journeys, not departmental silos.
- Modular Design System: Reusable templates enabling consistent design with decentralised content ownership.
- Accessibility: Fully responsive, mobile-first, and WCAG 2.1 AA compliant.
- Governance: Role-based access controls balancing central oversight with departmental autonomy.
- Analytics: Google Analytics and Tag Manager integrated for ongoing optimisation.
A Scalable Foundation for the Future of Student Services
The consolidation project delivered a strong foundation for KAUST’s student digital experience and created immediate and long‑term value:
- Unified Student Experience: six fragmented websites were replaced with a single, coherent platform that clearly presents student services and support.
- Improved Accessibility and Usability: simplified navigation, clearer content structures, and mobile‑friendly design improved the overall user experience.
- Scalable Digital Foundation: the platform established a repeatable model for addressing KAUST’s wider estate of over 140 websites.
- Operational Efficiency: centralised CMS governance combined with departmental ownership reduced duplication and improved content quality.
- Demonstrated Technical Expertise: Spinbox’s proficiency in Sitefinity CMS, accessibility‑led design, and enterprise‑scale website delivery was clearly demonstrated.
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