3. Take a look at St. Clair Colleges website. In relation to visuals, what would you propose to St. Clair College to improve/enhance this new website to effectively market to potential incoming local domestic students. Please provide three (3) recommendations and justify your answer with detailed reasoning. (9 Marks)
Student-Focused visuals
Right now, most of the homepage visuals are either buildings, event banners, or logos, which don’t do much actually to show what going to school at St. Clair College is all about. If I were a local student checking out the site for the first time, I wouldn’t see anyone who looks like me or any real student experiences, making the site feel flat and impersonal. Including more photos of actual students around campus on the website would make the college feel more inviting and relatable. It would also show that the school has a strong community and has extra-curricular, which is a big selling point for people trying to choose between schools in the area.
In class, we discussed “telling a story through visuals” and ensuring your content matches your target audience (Briscoe, W12 – D – Writing For Social Media In 2025.pdf, Slide 49). This is a perfect example — the site is trying to attract students, so it should actually show students, not just buildings and green banners. It’s also a good way to build trust. Real faces and moments go further than polished marketing banners, especially when speaking to local applicants who may already be familiar with the school’s reputation or community.
Right now, even the student services section mostly shows stock-style images or stiff portraits. There’s a missed opportunity here to highlight real students and make the college feel more human. Something as simple as student images with quotes about the school or even photos pulled from campus social media could add that authenticity that’s currently missing.
Improve Visual Layout
One of the most significant issues on the St. Clair College website is that it uses imagery inconsistently and often in ways that don’t really add to the message. Some sections are packed with visuals, while others feel like long blocks of text. There are also cases where important areas (like events or student services) don’t have any visuals, making them feel less engaging. Meanwhile, the images that do show up, like buildings or logos, don’t help tell a straightforward story or guide the viewer through the content.
Instead of using visuals just to fill space, the site should focus on using purposeful imagery that supports navigation and storytelling. In class, we talked about the importance of using images that are both relevant and emotionally engaging (Briscoe, W12 – C – Social Media Content (W25).pdf, Slide 26). For example, each main section of the homepage could feature one strong image, like students in class or a club on campus, paired with a short headline and link. This would make each part of the site feel more inviting while also giving the page more visual structure and flow.
Everything blends together right now; there’s not much contrast between sections, and the images don’t really “pull” the viewer down the page. Simplifying the layout and combining it with clear, meaningful visuals would help guide the eye and make it easier to find key information. It would also make the content feel less overwhelming, especially for local students just browsing or exploring their options. When visuals are placed with intention, they improve the site’s look and help create a better experience overall.
Make Better Use of Space with Larger, High-Quality Images
One thing that stands out across the site is that a lot of the images are small, boxed in, or low resolution — especially on pages like “Our Programs” or in the Student Hub. A lot of space is taken up by text or grey menu bars, with a lack of visuals that relate to the topic. Using larger, full-width images at the top of each major section would make the site feel more professional and welcoming. Bigger, high-quality photos leave a stronger first impression and make the page more visually balanced.
In class, we learned that visuals are most effective when they’re not just added to decorate, they need to support the story and help guide the experience (Briscoe, W12 – D – Writing for Social Media In 2025.pdf, Slide 49). Larger photos can set the tone for each page and show what that area is really about. For example, the “Our Programs” section could have a banner image of the students who are actually in the cousre and doing the actusl work. That visual context makes the information feel more real and easier to picture.
This isn’t about flashy graphics — it’s about letting images speak more clearly by giving them room to breathe. Some of the pages on the websote are very crowded and have too much text and can be overwhelming. More intentional space for imagery would help balance out the content and leave a stronger, more modern impression for local students visiting the site.
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