Digital Viewbook Brings Campus Experience to Prospective Students

Just as the arrival of fall signals the start of a new quarter on campus, it’s also when recruitment season, which officially begins in the summer, kicks into high gear for Seattle University’s Undergraduate Admissions team.

“Whether it’s the digital viewbook or any other SU admissions resource, the Undergraduate Admissions team is constantly trying to convey the feeling and experience that one might get while on campus or immersed in the Seattle U community,” says Patrick McCarthy, assistant director of admissions, marketing and outreach.

With the ongoing pandemic necessitating the cancellation of all on- and off-campus admissions events for high school students, the team is launching a reimagined digital viewbook with an enhanced focus on user experience—while also reinforcing the value and impact of a Jesuit education.

“Outside of our social media presence, email campaigns are our most consistent form of communication with prospective students and their families and supporters,” says McCarthy. “We are always striving to make our content as digestible and easy-to-understand for our audiences as possible and our new digital viewbook does that beautifully.”

Email campaigns sent to high school students help streamline searching by sharing direct links to different sections of the digital viewbook. Based on user experience, campaigns will also provide opportunities to measure engagement and inform future changes. 

The digital format cohesively aligns with the design of the printed viewbook, but also features media-rich offerings such as videos, impactful student profiles and access to campus photos to provide a sense of place from afar.

“Video content within and the immersive experience of the digital viewbook provides … all of the information that’s on our larger Seattle U website, but in a way that is concise and easy to navigate,” McCarthy says.

Presenting such information online rather than using large volumes of paper not only supports Seattle U’s sustainability efforts, but also aligns with the environmental values of its prime recruitment audience, Gen Z.

“Community is such an integral aspect of the SU experience, so we do our best to paint a picture about just what that means,” adds McCarthy, “and we’re hoping the digital viewbook can do just that.”

Learn more about the digital viewbook here.