Centennial College
Safety and Security Digital Content Strategy
Let’s get to the point.
Summary
What’s My Role?
Researcher
Content Strategist
What’s the Timeline?
1 Month
What’s the Problem?
How might we enhance the Safety and Security content for Centennial College's App and Website, so that the users can immediately use the information they need to be safe to work late on campus, and that Centennial College can uphold its reputation as a safe institution.
What’s the Recommendation?
Update information and prevent user mistakes
Create a centralized, tailored section with user-friendly content
Provide clear and effective communication and innovation in content delivery
Situation Analysis
What’s the Situation?
A critical evaluation of Centennial College's safety and security app was conducted, identifying its shortcomings in addressing the needs of individuals working or studying on campus late. Recognizing the importance of ensuring the safety of all community members and upholding the college's reputation, the project proposes the development of a new content strategy.
This project used the following scenario to develop the content strategy:
Consider the scenario of a person working late at the college, requiring access to real-time safety information. In such situations, it is crucial for the app and website to provide comprehensive and easily accessible details to ensure the person's well-being during late hours.
Research
What, Why, and How?
What’s the Current State?
To gain a deeper understanding of the current state of Centennial's Safety and Security resources, a content audit of the app and website was conducted.
Key Findings:
Consistency Issues: Both the website and app exhibit inconsistency in content and experience, featuring verbose and outdated messaging with insufficient highlighting of crucial information like contact details or additional resources.
Navigation Challenges: The navigation on both platforms is overly granular, with multiple nested sections, leading to confusion and difficulty in finding desired information, particularly on the mobile app which is poorly adapted for mobile use.
Lack of Visual Interest: While the app is slightly more visually engaging due to its format, both platforms lack visual interest, impacting user engagement. The app's excessive use of large button graphics results in a cluttered and overwhelming experience, hindering efficient exploration.
Real-world Consistency: The digital version of Centennial's Safety and Security mirrors the real-world counterpart in aspects such as color, fonts, style, and tone of voice. However, both versions suffer from information overload, making it overwhelming for users to comprehend..
See here for the Full Audit
What’s in the Market?
For competitive analysis, we identified four main competitors: Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, George Brown College, and Humber Collage.
Key Findings:
Both:
All competitors have a safety app and website section for safety services.
Similar to Centennial College, the "Work Alone" section contains information about the service but not about working late.
Competitors provide clear communication about safety service details, such as hours, response time, and access, but in separate sections.
Most colleges offer safety walk services as part of their campus safety programs.
Humber College and York University provide personal escort services (Campus/Friend Walk and GoSafe services).
Site:
Most competitors use clear naming and navigation for their safety sections.
Humber, York, and George Brown provide safety tips on the main safety page.
York has easy access to the "Work Alone" service on the main page of the safety section.
App:
All competitors use a similar layout and content for their apps.
The student app requires login, but the safety app does not, making it readily available.
Only York and George Brown have a dedicated section for "Working Alone" on the main screen.
App Map:
George Brown's app offers a "Campus Maps" feature that leads to the website.
York U's app facilitates easy navigation with its interactive map.
Humber College offers detailed maps and additional resources like transit schedules and dining options through its separate "Campus Compass" app.
App RSS & Alerts:
George Brown's app provides direct user interaction for real-time updates and safety notifications.
York U maintains a notification history for users to reference past alerts.
Humber College and Centennial College have dedicated sections on the home section of their app directly linked with their X (formerly Twitter) platform.
Who are the Users?
During our scenario analysis, we identified two main groups of Centennial Safety platform users, whom we would like to represent as our personas: students and faculty members.
What are the Content Requirements?
The personas provided a guide to generate a list of potential questions to answer to further understand the content needed.
Questions
What are the work hours of the campuses? Can you work until midnight?
Are the guards present on campus until midnight?
If there is any assistance available late on campus?
Can someone walk you home after?
Is the campus and surrounding area well-lit?
Where do I find info about the late campus operations and safety services available?
How can I get home safely from Campus?
Based on these questions, the following content requirements were determined:
Solution
What’s the Recommendation?
The primary goal is to improve Centennial College's safety app and website, offering a user-friendly experience for students and faculty members who work late on campus.
Part 1: Update information and prevent user mistakes
Integrate safety services into existing accounts on my.centennial and e.centennial to provide a seamless user experience. This ensures that individuals working late can access safety information without a separate registration.
Check and update all information and links . Clean the outdated and duplicated information to avoid users' mistakes.
Part 2: Create a centralized, tailored section with user-friendly content
Establish a centralized section tailored to our scenario, individuals working or studying late. The section should comprehensively cover real-time safety information, emergency protocols, and campus security details mentioned in the content requirement.
Develop user-friendly content that addresses the specific needs. This content should be easily digestible, providing immediate and actionable information regarding late-night safety measures, transportation options, and emergency protocols. Also we can add downloadable resources to spread safety measure awareness.
Part 3: Provide clear and effective communication and innovation in content delivery
Ensure that safety measures and protocols are communicated clearly and consistently through the app and website. This includes using straightforward language, visual aids, and real-time updates to keep late-night users informed and reassured.
Clearly communicate the necessity of logging in for immediate access to safety information and services. Streamline the process to ensure users can quickly and easily log in, minimizing barriers to entry.
Decrease the complexity of the app and the website by using more real-world related language and grouping information by scenarios. (now they are grouped by services) .
Utilize engaging content delivery methods, such as interactive e-learning modules and maps or safety-themed games, to ensure that late-night users are informed and actively engaged with safety content.
Establish a robust feedback mechanism specifically targeting individuals working late. Encourage users to share their experiences and concerns, allowing Centennial College to improve safety services and content continuously based on real-time feedback.
