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North Carolina Central University
The Challenge
When the leadership at North Carolina Central University decided to refresh the school’s brand, the time was perfect for a newly designed website. As one of the nation’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, NCCU faced a tricky challenge not uncommon for other schools: They needed a modern site that’s easily scanned and visually appealing while fronting the school’s relevant history for today’s prospective students.
The rebranding process took place in parallel to our work redesigning the site. While the school decided to tweak its name, to NC Central, and evolved its logo, we worked on reawakening the website. What we immediately encountered as part of our discovery was a proud student body and alumni that wanted to protect and celebrate their school’s story in the process of updating its marketing.
The Solution
We saw an opportunity to develop a dynamic new site that connected the school’s remarkable past to its vibrant reality as a contemporary research university.
Nestled in a neighborhood just outside downtown Durham in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, NC Central is home to major research institutes in the health, economic and social sciences. While the old site buried this information, our design elevated research initiatives with photos and easily navigated pages about undergraduate, graduate and certificate opportunities.
It was clear to us that the school’s history is significant to students, alumni and, most importantly, prospective students. We developed a new section to highlight the school’s story while linking it directly to its contemporary mission. "We Are NC Central" features stories about the school’s pioneering founders, followed by announcements about the new Student Center and School of Business. Our design leads with striking visual elements that demonstrate the life and energy on campus.
The Result
NC Central’s new site is grounded in the school’s history in a way that is relevant to its present and future. Our design shares the school’s story and contemporary, service-driven mission and emphasizes its research and academic opportunities—from jazz studies to integrated biosciences. As part of a refreshed marketing strategy, the new site paves the way for NC Central to celebrate its past while shaping its future.
