Higher Education / Religion / Non Profit
Transforming a historic seminary into a modern, mission-driven digital experience
Client: Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Role: Creative Director, Strategist, IA, UX
Team: Account Director, Associate Creative Director, Senior Designer, Senior Developer, Senior Account Manager, Project Manager, Junior Designer, Junior Developer, Client Stakeholders
Agency: Glantz
The redesigned Garrett.edu became more than a website—it became a recruitment and engagement engine. The new experience simplified complex academic information, increased prospective student inquiries, and deepened alumni and donor participation. Stakeholders described the platform as “a digital reflection of who we are becoming as a community.”
As Creative Director, I led the IA, UX, visual direction, and strategy—guiding a cross-disciplinary team to align research, design, and mission into a cohesive digital identity that modernized how Garrett presents itself to the world.
Garrett, a progressive seminary on Northwestern University’s campus, needed to distinguish itself from other theological institutions while communicating its inclusive values. Their existing website was outdated, difficult to navigate, and failed to reflect the energy and diversity of its programs.
Our challenge: create a digital platform that embodied Garrett’s mission while driving measurable outcomes in admissions, donor engagement, and alumni connection.
The Challenge
I began with user interviews and stakeholder workshops to uncover audience needs and organizational goals. We identified three core audiences—prospective students, alumni, and donors—each seeking clarity, confidence, and connection.
To unite leadership around a shared creative vision, I facilitated collaborative mood board sessions that distilled Garrett’s stained-glass motif into a modern visual system. This not only inspired consensus but grounded our design direction in inclusivity and purpose.
The Approach
With strategic alignment in place, I guided the team through multiple concept explorations, refining visual and UX directions that merged academic rigor with accessibility. Together we built a modular design system that scaled across pages and marketing campaigns, simplifying navigation and ensuring ADA compliance.
Every design decision—from content hierarchy to color and typography—was intentional, creating clear paths for each user group and strengthening Garrett’s unique identity online.
From Insights to Design
Prospective Student Persona
Alumnus / Donor Persona
Admissions Persona
Information Architecture
Design Moodboards
Design Concepts
Garrett Homepage
Mobile Navigation
Desktop Navigation
In-page Navigation
Outcomes
The new Garrett website improved clarity, engagement, and trust:
Prospective students now explore programs more intuitively, leading to higher application inquiries.
Alumni and donors experience a renewed emotional connection to the institution.
Internal teams gained a flexible, easy-to-manage design system for future campaigns.