Work

Overview

Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA) is a Milwaukee Public School with a focus on getting teens deeper into the arts, while maintaining the rest of the academic studies. An arts school does best when the students are passionate about the subjects, and MHSA needed a site to attract the best and most interested kids, and their parents. To do that, they needed a site that could help them stand out.

Strategy

The site had two main audiences -- students (and their parents) who wanted to learn more about their music, theater, dance and visual arts and design programs, and current students (and their parents). Students are more connected to their phone than a computer, so we started with a mobile first design, but we didn't skimp on the colors, textures and brand depth that make a site connect with people.

Designing a website for an art school is daunting, especially for us -- it's going to be understood and viewed in a different light than most other organizations. We created the site to be a functional first, clear and engaging. We used a lot of bright colors, textures  and images to bring out the artist in every visitor.

The site itself provides a perfect venue for informative course descriptions and faculty profiles, performance videos, band recordings and art galleries. Prospective students and families can get a feel for the value in an MHSA education. Current students use it as a centralized place to go for the information they need to be successful. Colleges and employers see the care that MHSA has taken with the students and their education.