Colleges Ontario

Challenge

Following the successful refresh of the Ontario Colleges brand and website, I was invited to lead the design of the Colleges Ontario website. As the collective voice of Ontario’s 24 public colleges, Colleges Ontario required a modern digital presence that could effectively communicate research, advocacy, events, and sector news to a diverse audience that included government, media, researchers, college leadership, and the public.

The objective was to create a professional, accessible, and easy-to-navigate experience that reflected the organization’s leadership role within Ontario’s post-secondary education sector.

Approach

As the sole designer on the project, I worked closely with stakeholders to understand organizational goals, audience needs, and content priorities. The site architecture was designed to support a large volume of reports, publications, events, news, and advocacy content while maintaining clear navigation and discoverability.

The visual design built upon the established Colleges Ontario brand while modernizing the user experience through improved hierarchy, accessibility, and content organization. Throughout the project, the focus remained on helping visitors quickly access the information most relevant to their needs.

During the project, an additional requirement emerged when a branch of the organization needed a microsite presence but lacked an established visual identity. To support the initiative, I designed a flexible page template that aligned with the broader Colleges Ontario ecosystem while providing the group with a distinct and professional presentation. The work was well received by stakeholders and demonstrated the flexibility of the design approach beyond the core website project.

Outcome

The completed website provided Colleges Ontario with a modern platform capable of supporting its communications, advocacy, and research initiatives. The project strengthened the organization’s digital presence and provided stakeholders with a more effective way to share information with government, media, sector partners, and the public.

The engagement also represented a continuation of the trust established through previous Ontario Colleges and OCAS initiatives, demonstrating the value of consistent design leadership across multiple organizations within Ontario’s college ecosystem.