York Technical College is more than a place to earn a degree; it’s a gateway to forging careers and building relationships. Proudly serving the tri-county area of Lancaster, Chester, and York, this 2-year institution in York, South Carolina is known for their high job placement rate after graduation. York Tech stands as a beacon of opportunity, welcoming students of all ages and backgrounds to pursue their ambitions in an environment that feels like home.

Facing increased competition due to dwindling student numbers, York Tech needed a memorable brand to stand out. After more than a year of building a relationship with the College, our team provided the College with comprehensive brand services, including a brand platform, brand campaign, 60th anniversary campaign, and detailed brand guidelines. The result is a powerful identity that resonates with students, their families, and the broader community.

As part of a multi-facility “Indy Campus Reimagined” initiative, Ivy Tech Community College (ITCC) is undertaking the renovation of the Illinois Fall Creek Center (IFC) to enhance its Nursing and Health Sciences programs. This project will repurpose existing classroom space, consolidating health sciences programs from the Fairbanks Lawrence campus and integrating state-of-the-art lab upgrades to better support modern student learning.

A key goal of this renovation is to centralize all student services on campus, creating a more intuitive and cohesive experience for students and staff. By consolidating services in one location, the design features clear wayfinding and establishes a primary entrance that enhances the facility’s arrival experience.

By creating a state-of-the-art space for Nursing and Health Sciences, ITCC is strengthening their connection to the local healthcare industry. Students will benefit from upgraded learning environments and proximity to clinical placements, internships, and workforce opportunities in the downtown area.

Originally constructed in 1976, the GRCC Ford Natatorium is being transformed from an underutilized aquatic space into a modern fitness and recreation center designed to meet the evolving needs of GRCC students, faculty, staff, and the community.

The new recreation center will include an indoor turf gymnasium, fitness areas, student lounge spaces, athletic offices, a nutrition center, Zoom rooms, and multipurpose spaces designed for collaboration. Additionally, the concept of a “third place” offers students a welcoming space beyond academics, enhancing connections across campus.

Washington College had a vision to broaden their market reach, streamline their communications, and increase student enrollment. Their marketing and enrollment teams sought to unite their efforts to effectively promote Washington College in local communities as well as within three new territories they had never been before spread out across the United States.

The primary campaign objective was to increase enrollment by:

• Organizing a robust communication strategy through emails, SMS texting, and print mailings to nurture and ultimately enroll students.
• Differentiating Washington College from other similarly named institutions and small private schools.
• Employing creative digital marketing strategies to generate a higher concentration of names at the top of the funnel.

University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) approached our team with the goal of redesigning their website, driven by a recent brand redevelopment. They sought to quickly integrate their new brand into a web expression that was not only functional, but also aligned with their focus on the incoming student experience. This project demanded a swift turnaround, highlighting the urgency and importance of the redesign project.

Our team delivered a comprehensive suite of services to USC Upstate, including:

• Web Accessibility
• UX/UI Design
• Web Redesign
• Web Development
• Site Architecture

As part of Calvin’s 2015 Master Plan, a student-focused Commons Union and library refresh project created a dynamic hub for the campus, containing a new open staircase, offices for student organizations, lounge and multipurpose spaces, and supportive administrative offices all under one roof.

Updating the Hekman Library to a Learning Commons model has created a collaborative and communal environment. Improved traffic flow for students using the library building was achieved by the integration of an open, communicating stair that connects the first three levels of the facility together. The first level is home to staff offices and a casual student engagement space with coffee area, small group performance stage and computer lab. The goal of the Commons Union project was to better serve learners by creating easy access to resources and support services, while fostering socialization and connection.

GMB partnered with Centerbrook Architects and Planners as the design architect for this project.

With an increase in enrollment in their business department, Calvin University sought to add onto their existing DeVos Communication Center to create the new School of Business. This new building focuses on student spaces, classrooms, breakout rooms, and shared spaces which demonstrate a commitment to the latest innovations in business.

More conducive to collaborative learning, these spaces provide a flexible, creative, and welcoming environment to foster students in their journey to become excellent, engaged, and faithful leaders of business. The facility and its proximity to other buildings on campus serves as a catalyst for creating innovative new academic programs while continuing to foster connections with other Calvin programs along with the broader campus and community.

Wake Forest University’s Documentary Film Program (DFP) needed a hands-on agency to help with digital marketing optimization and transparent reporting for two of its key programs: MFA: Documentary Filmmaking and MA: Sports & Media Storytelling. Facing declining enrollment and different audience focuses, the DFP was looking for support in identifying, attracting, and engaging more right-fit students.

What happened next? Digital marketing magic, based on a collaborative, benefits-focused digital strategy and campaign that helped prospective students understand the difference between the two programs and how to select the one most aligned with their goals.

The Goal:

Inspire and motivate qualified prospective students to inquire and apply for the Wake Forest Documentary Film Program by…

• Positioning Wake Forest DFP as a support system that provides students with the resources to tell their stories through film
• Highlighting key benefits of the DFP’s alumni network and potential career outcomes
• Differentiating the two DFP programs so right-fit students can make informed decisions about the best program for their goals
  

The Challenge:

Wake Forest needed help identifying and engaging the right-fit students for its Documentary Film Program. Competing against many other well-known film school programs, the DFP also needed to communicate what made its program the best choice for students looking to share their story through film.

The Opportunity:

Most film programs teach students the creative side of filmmaking. Wake Forest teaches the entire process of filmmaking, from storyboarding and filming to pitching and production, providing students with a wider set of skills to thrive in the film industry as soon as they graduate.

The Lake County campus of Ivy Tech Community College (ITCC) will be undergoing extensive renovations in East Chicago. ITCC has made a significant investment in the community and the educational programs it offers. The main building on campus, the De La Garza Building, was originally designed by architect Helmut Jahn and the upcoming renovations will remain true to the spirit of the initial design concepts, which emphasize open spaces, natural lighting, and ample glass.

A reconstruction of the entrance will create a predominate, accessible front entry space featuring an exterior canopy that will be visible from the street and will enhance the building user’s entry experience. The renovated two-story lobby will include flexible seating and gathering areas, an express enrollment area, and space for the college’s career development services. The large mezzanine on the second floor with a new open staircase invites views directly into the labs spaces and creates an impactful entrance experience with visibility and connectivity between students and activities on multiple levels. The graphics, furniture, and building materials will reflect both an industrial and technical aesthetic that will balance against a wooden accent wall to create a warm and welcoming lobby. The lobby renovation will extend down the long corridor on both floors. On the first floor several program entrance “front porches” off the main corridor are included in the design to increase visibility of the programs and break down the journey of the long corridor. 

Hardin-Simmons University needed alignment. Struggling with conflicting internal and external perceptions as well as trying to stand out in a market saturated with competitors, its team came to us looking to clarify what made Hardin-Simmons unique.

The Goal:

Increase enrollment by…

• Differentiating Hardin-Simmons from the other private liberal arts colleges in Texas
• Creating more awareness in the metropolitan areas of Texas
• Making a splash with Hardin-Simmons’ unique attributes and distinctiveness

The Challenge:

Get the outside world to see Hardin-Simmons the way its faculty, staff, and students do.

The Opportunity:

Give Hardin-Simmons the courage and confidence to lean into its cowboy spirit.