UX research to increase user engagement for leading London university
The context
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is one of the UK's leading research universities, known for its excellence in education and commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As part of the prestigious Russell Group, QMUL is internationally recognised for its strengths in fields such as medicine, law, science, and the humanities, with a focus on innovation and social impact. The university attracts students from all over the world, creating a vibrant, multicultural campus environment.
As one of the primary touchpoints for prospective students, the website plays a crucial role in shaping first impressions and influencing decision-making. QMUL understood that to stay competitive and meet the evolving expectations of tech-savvy students, it’s essential to ensure the website provides a seamless and engaging user experience. This need for a comprehensive digital review led QMUL to seek an external expert, aiming to provide recommendations to iterate the website into a user-centric experience that effectively communicates the value of its postgraduate programmes.
Education
& not-for-profit
B2C
Website
UK
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The problem
QMUL's website had not undergone a comprehensive UX review in several years. Stakeholders reported that the user experience was below expectations, leading to a suboptimal conversion rate of prospective postgraduate students. The challenges included complex navigation, inconsistent content across course pages, and a lack of comprehensive information necessary for informed decision-making by prospective students. QMUL engaged our team to identify and resolve these issues to enhance the overall user experience.
In addition to these immediate usability concerns, the website also struggled to cater effectively to the diverse needs of its audience. International students, for example, faced additional hurdles due to insufficient information on visa requirements, living arrangements, and cultural integration. Similarly, domestic students expressed frustration with the difficulty in comparing different courses and understanding the specifics of what each program entailed. These issues highlighted a deeper need for a strategic overhaul of the site’s content structure and navigation to better serve all user groups and ultimately drive higher engagement and application rates.
The objective
The primary objective of this project was to significantly enhance the user experience of the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) website, with a specific focus on increasing the conversion rate of prospective postgraduate students. The aim was to create a more intuitive, user-friendly, and informative digital experience that effectively meets the diverse needs of both domestic and international students.
To achieve this, the project set out to:
Simplify navigation: Review the website’s navigation to ensure users can easily find and access relevant information without confusion or frustration.
Standardise content: Ensure consistency across course pages, providing comprehensive and detailed information that supports prospective students in making informed decisions.
Improve user engagement: Incorporate engaging content such as videos, testimonials, and interactive elements that resonate with users and reflect the university’s strengths and values.
Empower future research: Equip QMUL with the tools and frameworks necessary to conduct ongoing UX research, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation to evolving user needs.
“The research insights, and the final presentation of your recommendations were brilliant, really clear and well structured. You didn’t just answer the questions we asked – you grasped what QM was trying to achieve and delivered an invaluable piece of user-led research that provides both the insight and practical next steps we need.
Choosing DPP was a fantastic decision, I’m really pleased we partnered with you.”
— Lotty Davies, Head of Digital Communications & Planning,
Queen Mary University London, UK
The approach
We conducted research with 12 post-graduate students, half of which were from the UK, and the other half which were international students currently living in the UK.
The value we got from the research:
Gained insight from users on their decision making process in choosing a degree and university, understanding pain points and opportunities.
Understand how users currently use the website, and assess the usability.
Validate our hypotheses and whether our collective ideas for changes to the website resonated with prospective graduates’ needs.
We could ascertain patterns and key themes across participants and their relative importance to the website recommendations to aid prioritisation.
The insights directly influenced QMUL’s new Information Architecture, informing the new key user journey for prospective students and priority pages.
The result
The project finished in August 2024, so whilst we are waiting for the improvements to be implemented, we are anticipating these results:
Enhanced user experience: With a current SUS score of 84, as QMUL implement the recommended changes we’re looking to see a continued improvement to usability of the website.
Increased conversion rates: By addressing navigation and content issues, QMUL are hoping to see an increase in the number of prospective students engaging with the site and completing the application process.
Sustainable UX practices: The provided templates and frameworks have enabled QMUL to continue refining their website, ensuring that the improvements are not just a one-time fix but part of an ongoing process of user-centered design.
Educated & empowered QMUL to perform their own research, including methods and processes, enabling them to do independent research.
“We were really impressed with DPP. The project management was smooth and consistently clear throughout. The weekly check-ins were invaluable for handling a varied and disparate team on our side.
They kept our project on track and kept our stakeholders not just engaged with the process, but excited to dig into the key research themes as they emerged. They also allowed us to spot any potential challenges early, so even when these arose, you handled them swiftly and effectively.”
— Lotty Davies, Head of Digital Communications & Planning,
Queen Mary University London, UK
4
Actionable insights
12
Interviews with students
5/5
Clutch review
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