“We have a very renowned music program, and we wanted the new site to be attractive and also be intellectual, with a high aesthetic value,” Vanney explains. “We wanted it to look both smart and rich — and of course to carry a lot of information because this is a huge program.”
When the college asked FUEL for help creating the site in 2004, it also placed technical constraints on the project, requesting that the website be fully accessible for viewers using a text reader, avoid the use of flash technology or streaming music, and be easily updatable by campus staff. “We’re kind of persnickety,” laughs Vanney. “We want there to be a wow factor, but we want to keep things straightforward as well.”
FUEL designer Bill Bollman and owner John Moes met several times with Luther admissions, marketing and music personnel to learn about their desires for the site and begin the exchange of ideas that would make it possible to capture the essence — and the depth — of Luther’s celebrated music program. “I really like Bill and John both professionally and personally,” says Vanney of the experience. “When you talk to them you’re dealing with the principals, not some sales guys. They invest a lot of themselves in the project. It’s all face to face and you know them. In the end, they really understood the tone that we were looking for.”