Building a New Brandeis.edu

Project Details

The Brandeis website is the university's digital front door. This redesign will help ensure it reflects where Brandeis is headed.

Goals

The redesign is focused on the following goals:

• Representing Brandeis more fully — a modern, refined online presence that reflects our reputation and ambition.
• Carrying the Brandeis Plan forward — a structure that reflects our academic realignment and creates a more unified experience across the university.
• Improving discoverability — better search and AI-friendly content so Brandeis shows up where our audiences are already looking.
• Supporting enrollment and advancement — improved user flows for admissions and financial aid, and better support for engaging alumni and donors around our mission and values.

Scope

The redesign will encompass most brandeis.edu websites, including academic departments and programs currently in Cascade CMS. It also extends to graduate school sites that, while in Cascade, have operated using separate templates.

Bringing these sites into a unified website reflects the university's academic realignment and creates a more cohesive experience across brandeis.edu.

CMS Platform

The redesigned site will be built in Cascade CMS, the content management system Brandeis has used for many years. More information is available for web editors.

Timeline

This project is in its early stages. Work is currently focused on Discovery — understanding the needs of the university and building the foundation for the redesign.

As part of this phase, Fastspot led several discovery sessions with representatives from across the university, exploring everything from academic identity and student life to technology and communications. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to participate. 

Phased Approach

The redesigned site will launch in phases, with an initial target of summer 2027.

The first phase will prioritize the university's highest-priority public-facing content, including the university homepage and areas that most directly support student recruitment and enrollment, strengthen the Brandeis brand and support the university's upcoming comprehensive campaign.

Additional areas of the site will follow in subsequent phases.

Project Stages