Arts University Bournemouth launches Insta-prospectus

Digital university prospectuses have become the norm in recent years, which means students no longer have to carry or thumb through thick catalogues to learn more about a particular course. They contain just about everything an aspiring undergraduate or postgraduate student should know about an institution to decide whether or not it’s the right school for them. One university, however, has taken its digital prospectus up a notch.

In a bid to match the “creative disruption” of its students, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has built, engineered and launched its prospectus via Instagram, which has more than one billion global users. The university prospectus was done in collaboration with leading design agency Bond & Coyne. 

AUB’s Instagram university prospectus allows students to explore information such as the institution’s foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate and short courses with ease. All other information such as accommodation options, campus offerings as well as any news on AUB can be found on their Instagram prospectus.

 

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In a media release, the university said its new university prospectus creates a real-time conversation with an audience, offering an opportunity, for the first time ever, to discover and understand what content inspires one of Europe’s most thriving digital and creative environments. 

“The entirely-digital platform presents the university a unique opportunity to host multimedia and live content. No longer limited by the restrictions of print media, course detail is dynamic and easily navigable, immediately immersing prospective students among the university’s creative narrative, or out to their website,” it said. 

Head of Student Recruitment and Marketing Simon Pride said: “In the highly competitive and increasingly global HE environment, innovation and disruption are key to standing out. Particularly if you are a small creative specialist university like AUB, vying for the attention of one of the most marketing literate/marketing cynical audiences there is to communicate with — young creatives.

“For us, an important part of standing out was to avoid the ‘broadcast’ nature of many university marketing campaigns. We wanted to take a step towards our audience and open a conversation with them through their own media — their own world. Our students use Instagram to stage their most creative and disruptive work, so why shouldn’t we?”

Pride said a ‘”hero” social media account gives an overview of AUB and signposts 28 individual social media accounts for every course or study level.

AUB’s Instagram prospectus can host live events and can be updated throughout the year, as and when information changes or exciting events happen that AUB wishes to share. Their content can also be easily and immediately shared with friends and family.

“Ultimately, our aim was to create a communication project that lived up to the values we strive to instil in our students — to be bold and innovative in their practice. And with the help of some super-talented AUB alumni, we think we’ve done that.”

Scroll through Instagram for AUB’s university prospectus

Students no longer have to thumb through thick catalogues to find out more about university courses thanks to the availability of digital university prospectus. Source: Cindy Ord/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

AUB’s digital prospectus is among a range of new online and digital content the university is using to showcase its collaborative approach to creative arts education. With a new website launched in June 2020, the university is also launching AUB:360, a new virtual campus experience and interactive glimpse of AUB’s specialist facilities, designed by the university’s in-house digital designer and photographer. 

Founded as a specialist art and design institution more than 100 years ago, AUB boasts of some notable alumni, including Harry Potter and Star Wars creature designer Nick Dudman, film director Edgar Wright, fashion photographer Nick Knight and architect professor Sir Peter Cook. 

The TEF Gold university has won two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes and is the UK’s top specialist art and design university, according to The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. View AUB’s digital prospectus here.