Where There Be Dragons

Where There Be Dragons

OPPORTUNITY

Where There Be Dragons offers deeply immersive, life-changing travel programs but their website wasn’t fully capturing that sense of transformation or serving their diverse audiences effectively. The quality of programming and offerings were ahead of the industry while their site was falling behind. The opportunity was to clean up the navigation, clarify enrollment journeys based on audience type, and elevate storytelling so the digital presence matched the impact of the programs themselves.

APPROACH

We restructured the site around clear, audience-specific pathways, using intuitive navigation and color-based wayfinding to guide users to the content most relevant to them. Through that journey, we paid close attention to building landing pages for each type of user based on what they are searching in their browser. The brand system got a makeover through type, color, and layout while retaining some core brand features like the logo and watercolor styles. We chose to pair immersive photography and video with practical tools like program comparisons and streamlined enrollment flows to give the user an experience that felt exciting without limiting the information they need to make a decision. Behind the scenes, we rebuilt the site architecture to be easier to manage, faster to load and host videos, and more flexible for future growth. Really, we built a wicked fast site.

A Robust Program Selection Experience

We designed a complete UX overhaul of the shopping experience with a robust program filtering feature becoming the backbone of the site. Using filters for program type, location, trip length, student age, and departure date, students and parents can now quickly find the programs that suit them best. Selected filters show as tags that can be added or removed independently and a rapidly-updating program grid makes the filtering experience quick and responsive.

Rich Program Information Structure

We designed individual program pages that display the core information a user needs at a glance without feeling overwhelmed. These pages extend with interactive elements giving the user the choice to dive in as little or as deep as they would like in their learning journey.

Color-based Wayfinding

We started with research around color theory and human behavior before developing a wayfinding system based off their existing brand standards. This allowed us to bring deeper meaning to color choices that also serve a function. This system is used to inform users of the type of content they can expect on a page. Each color is established in the navigation and then associated colors are used as text fills, section backgrounds, and button hovers within their corresponding pages.

BUILT TO SHARE EXPERIENCES

Showcasing student experiences drives much of the content and infrastructure of the Where There Be Dragons website. Blog posts and testimonial carousels offer a place to share transformative student journeys. Program pages feature a media gallery consisting of student photography, video, and quotes. The website’s associated forum, “The Yak Board” is a place for students, instructors, and parents to stay in touch and ask questions.