TH Georg Agricola: A streamlined information platform for a university with international impact

The Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola in Bochum educates students from all over the world, creating opportunities across the globe. In an agile process involving all stakeholders, we helped to launch a contemporary – and above all streamlined – information platform that reflects the full strength of TH Agricola.

The starting point was a website that had grown over a long period, with almost unmanageable navigation and an endless amount of content. The first step therefore had to be one of self-reflection: who is the university today, what matters and what matters less? This required the involvement of all key stakeholders.

In summer 2020, we held a large outdoor workshop on campus in the “World Café” format. Around 60 participants discussed all the prepared topics in smaller groups; the results were analysed in depth and fed into the concept and design of the new platform. We implemented it in an agile way using SCRUM. The home page provides context and explains simply the impact TH Agricola has: it enables students from all over the world to learn to a high standard in technical professions and to put their expertise to work, including in their home countries.

A quick-access area on the home page guides eight different target groups swiftly to the right information. Orientation is supported by an extended, partly contextual menu and the premium version of our ke_search search. As the platform is primarily aimed at international students too, there is a complete mobile version; the platform is also designed with a high degree of accessibility. All areas can be managed flexibly via TYPO3: editors create new pages and sections within a wide range of layout options and present content optimally with images and media.