3 min read
A distinct, desirable student experience that builds confidence and offers reassurance at every step.
UNSW College was developing a new Applied Programs offering for people starting or advancing a career. We helped translate that strategic opportunity into an evidence-led student experience - one designed to make industry relevance, personal support, professional connections and progress visible from first enquiry through to alumni engagement.
CONTEXT
A new offering to attract a new type of student
UNSW College has a long-standing reputation as a pathway provider. Its new Applied Programs marked a move into practical business and IT education for career changers, including self-funded students, sponsored students and employers. Each audience needed confidence that the offering would fit real goals, build relevant capability and justify the commitment of time or money.
PROBLEM
Course content alone could not differentiate its value
Applied education is already competitive, and claims of practical learning are easy to make. UNSW College needed more than a strong curriculum: the complete experience had to prove its relevance. If systems, communication or support felt fragmented or reactive, confidence could fall - particularly for students balancing study with work and for sponsors expecting visible evidence of progress.
APPROACH
Mapping the experience from enquiry to alumni
We combined 11 workshops, 26 external interviews, 51 survey responses and 25 internal consultations with journey mapping and cross-functional design. By examining the experience from awareness to alumni engagement, we identified the moments most likely to shape confidence. We connected them to the people, processes, data and technology required to deliver them.
INSIGHT
Professional progress had to be visible
Research across students and industry sponsors revealed four consistent needs: credible links to industry, meaningful professional connections, proactive support and visible progress. Together, they reframed the task. Professional progression could not remain an end-of-course promise; students needed to understand, experience and communicate that value throughout the journey.
FEATURE
Turning early signs of struggle into timely support
Waypoint shows how the strategy translated into a tangible service. The concept captures support preferences during onboarding, combines regular check-ins with relevant student data and directs people towards timely human help. Its delivery model also makes the hidden requirements explicit, including privacy controls, notification thresholds, staff training, system integration and triage for higher-risk cases.
OUTCOME
A shared foundation for bringing the offering to life
The project gave UNSW College an evidence-backed target experience, end-to-end blueprint, five developed concepts and a phased delivery roadmap. These outputs created a shared basis for decisions across academic delivery, student support, marketing and technology. At the stage documented, the value was a clearer, more actionable path to implementation - not yet measured changes in enrolment, retention or student outcomes.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Value needs to be experienced, not just promised
A distinctive education experience does not add novelty around the course. It makes the course’s value easier to see and act on. For career-focused students, that means showing how skills connect to work, making progress tangible, creating useful relationships and offering support before small difficulties become barriers.
3 min read
A distinct, desirable student experience that builds confidence and offers reassurance at every step.
UNSW College was developing a new Applied Programs offering for people starting or advancing a career. We helped translate that strategic opportunity into an evidence-led student experience - one designed to make industry relevance, personal support, professional connections and progress visible from first enquiry through to alumni engagement.
CONTEXT
A new offering to attract a new type of student
UNSW College has a long-standing reputation as a pathway provider. Its new Applied Programs marked a move into practical business and IT education for career changers, including self-funded students, sponsored students and employers. Each audience needed confidence that the offering would fit real goals, build relevant capability and justify the commitment of time or money.
PROBLEM
Course content alone could not differentiate its value
Applied education is already competitive, and claims of practical learning are easy to make. UNSW College needed more than a strong curriculum: the complete experience had to prove its relevance. If systems, communication or support felt fragmented or reactive, confidence could fall - particularly for students balancing study with work and for sponsors expecting visible evidence of progress.
APPROACH
Mapping the experience from enquiry to alumni
We combined 11 workshops, 26 external interviews, 51 survey responses and 25 internal consultations with journey mapping and cross-functional design. By examining the experience from awareness to alumni engagement, we identified the moments most likely to shape confidence. We connected them to the people, processes, data and technology required to deliver them.
INSIGHT
Professional progress had to be visible
Research across students and industry sponsors revealed four consistent needs: credible links to industry, meaningful professional connections, proactive support and visible progress. Together, they reframed the task. Professional progression could not remain an end-of-course promise; students needed to understand, experience and communicate that value throughout the journey.
FEATURE
Turning early signs of struggle into timely support
Waypoint shows how the strategy translated into a tangible service. The concept captures support preferences during onboarding, combines regular check-ins with relevant student data and directs people towards timely human help. Its delivery model also makes the hidden requirements explicit, including privacy controls, notification thresholds, staff training, system integration and triage for higher-risk cases.
OUTCOME
A shared foundation for bringing the offering to life
The project gave UNSW College an evidence-backed target experience, end-to-end blueprint, five developed concepts and a phased delivery roadmap. These outputs created a shared basis for decisions across academic delivery, student support, marketing and technology. At the stage documented, the value was a clearer, more actionable path to implementation - not yet measured changes in enrolment, retention or student outcomes.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Value needs to be experienced, not just promised
A distinctive education experience does not add novelty around the course. It makes the course’s value easier to see and act on. For career-focused students, that means showing how skills connect to work, making progress tangible, creating useful relationships and offering support before small difficulties become barriers.