Making Virtual High School Accessible For Students Around the World

Initial Client Meeting Questions

1. Intro

Hi there. My name is Phoebe and I am the Designer and Creative Director working with Gray Cyan. Essentially the purpose of today’s meeting is to allow me to capture a better understanding of your brand, and the visual direction that you want to head in so that I can start to put together a mood board that will serve as inspiration for the design and development of your new website.

2. Describe your brand

What do you do?

• We are an online, ministry-accredited virtual high school that is new to the market

• We allow both domestic and international students to learn at their own pace

What is your mission?

• We are on a mission to make high school education inclusive and accessible for everyone, especially international students

• Eliminating the barriers for affordable, virtual high school education

Who are your top competitors?

• Blyth Academy

• Rosedale Academy

• Ontario Virtual School

• TVO ILC

• Virtual High School

Who is your target customer?

• Our target customer is international students, however, we want our website to attract parents and educators as well

• Both domestic and international students

• We understand that the majority of the browsers of the website will be students

What pain points does this company solve?

• Many of our competitors charge premium fees for courses/programs which poses a financial barrier for many students

• As a result of the pandemic, many international students in North American high schools returned to their home countries mid-way through the semester, and it has been extremely difficult for these students to resume their studies without living in Canada or the United States

What kind of personality would you say describes your brand?

• Somewhere between playful and professional

• Ambitious

• Collaborative

• Creative

• Determined

• Friendly

• Inspiring

What is the story behind UFuture Academy?

• When the pandemic broke out, many of our friends and family members who happened to be international students at North American high schools and universities returned to their home countries to be with their families, which posed a barrier to continuing their studies for a number of reasons

• There have been many restrictions set in place preventing international students from returning to Canada and the US

If there were five words to describe your brand, what would they be?

• Innovative

• Understanding

• Flexible

• Reliable

• Inclusive

3. Visual Style

Do you currently have a colour palette for your brand - if not, what colours would you like to see as part of your brand?

• Blue

• Turquoise

• Yellow

What fonts do you like? Do you prefer serif or sans serif fonts?

• We prefer bold, serif fonts, but are open to other options

What are some features or elements that you have seen on other websites that you like?

• One, consistent, long home page

• Sticky navigation bar

• Not giving away too much information on the home page

• Consistent CTA buttons

Are there any particular websites that you would like to use as inspiration?

• Blyth Academy

• Rosedale Academy

• Ontario Virtual School