Welcome to Birkbeck's new website
You might have noticed our website has a new look. Today, Birkbeck, University of London launches a new online design, part of an ambitious project to make our website easier to use.
A year of intensive research, analysis and user-testing has been undertaken to ensure the improvements made - to content, structure and the technology - respond to evidence about how people use, or want to use, the site.
Initially changes can be seen across the homepage and the Study section, which houses essential information for prospective students, including course information. Student services and many professional department pages also benefit from the make-over.
The site navigation is clear and simple, allowing people to quickly find the information they want, with clear, graphic signposts improving journeys across the site.
A big, bold keyword course finder is a fuss-free way to get prospective students started on their Birkbeck journey. And for those who want to know more about us, we’re showcasing the best of Birkbeck research, events and community through news, events, comment and podcasts.
As the UK’s only evening university, Birkbeck is genuinely unique, but research showed we weren’t shouting loudly enough about what makes us different. We have rectified this with by highlighting what makes Birkbeck special – from our part-time courses as a pace that suits each student, to our world-class research.
We are using video more prominently across the site as a vital way to tell our stories, and no matter what device you are using - mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop - our responsive site will look good and be easy to use.
We are particularly proud of the work done to make the website as accessible to all our users as possible. Embedded ReciteMe software allows visitors to customise the site in the way they need it to work, helping remove the barriers that many disabled people experience online.
The design takes its cue from Birkbeck’s colourful, modern visual identity, which was launched at the beginning of this year. Both the visual identity and website design were created by design consultancy, Pentagram, and implemented by Birkbeck’s own in-house content and technology teams.
This is just the start of our journey to transform Birkbeck’s digital presence. We will be reviewing and tweaking the design as we go along, as well as beginning the process of implementing the design across the rest of Birkbeck’s substantial web presence.
Professor David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck, said: “I am delighted that Birkbeck has launched its new-look website. Improvements to the site’s content, structure and technology mean that visitors will now have a smoother and more satisfactory experience when they visit us online. Just a few years away from our 200th birthday, the new site helps convey what a unique and inclusive place Birkbeck is.”
We would love to hear from you. If you have comments or ideas about our website, please email: communications@bbk.ac.uk.
Find out more
- Watch our video explainer.
- Read our blog explaining the research and process behind the new look.
- Read our blog telling you how we used user testing throughout our web development project.