New York School of Interior Design

Blackbaud’s Design Services Help New York School of Interior Design Get a Modern and Dynamic Website

Founded in 1916, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is New York’s only private, nonprofit college devoted to the design of the interior environment. It is dedicated to the advancement of the discipline of interior design through education, research, professional development, public programs, and community outreach. Critical to its mission is the engagement with New York City’s cultural institutions, access to design resources, and its immersion in the city’s economy.

The Challenge

• The New York School of Interior Design’s website appeared old and lacked visual appeal. The site’s content was also growing stale. All of these factors were caused by the fact that staff members found it extremely difficult and timeconsuming to manage the website.
• The website’s navigation was cumbersome and crowded with excessive and redundant menus, making it difficult for website visitors to find the information they needed in a reasonable amount of time.
• In addition, NYSID’s site was not interactive and did not encourage a community feeling. The website’s design failed to communicate the essence of NYSID to its audience.

The Solution

• Blackbaud’s design team created a simple, elegant design using a modern color palette to showcase vivid imagery and works of art on the site.
• The team simplified the navigation to include major areas of the school and used quicklinks and calls-toaction to help direct users to the information they are looking for.
• NYSID and the team added video features, flash slideshows, galleries of artwork, and blogs to make the site interactive.

The Results

• NYSID now has a website that has easier navigation and offers visitors more points of entry on the home page.
• The website design is worldclass, with focused imagery and a bold appearance, achieving a more modern look and feel. The design accurately reflects the school’s identity; NYSID’s brand is consistently portrayed across the site.
• Faculty and staff can easily add videos, content, and images to the site, keeping it up-to-date, fresh, and truly interactive.