CASE STUDY
Avon Old Farms
"We Didn't Change a Thing"
Avon Old Farms on Nailing Website Design.
School ProfileAvon Old Farms School is a private boarding school for boys in Connecticut, USA. With over 400 students, the school focuses on developing strong moral character rather than solely academic or athletic achievements in boys. 98% of graduates continue on to university, with the remaining 2% going on to pursue sporting careers such as professional hockey. Their boarding community (which comprises three-quarters of their student population) represents 35 states and 15 countries outside the US. The school boasts a defined program around lifelong learning and preparing their students for life, teaching boys to be good brothers and good people. |
Building a Website Aligned to Avon Old Farms School's Unique Mission
Results
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A true partnership where the UBIQ team understood and resonated with Avon Old Farms' needs. UBIQ has a genuine commitment to Avon Old Farms, with the school praising UBIQ's responsiveness.
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Process drove the project forward, with the team engaging with Avon Old Farms at key touchpoints throughout the data discovery, design, content building, and launch phases. The project began with fundamental questions to define the team's main goals.
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A clean, purposeful website design indicative that UBIQ had listened to and reflected the school's unique goals and needs. The initial design, framed around the school's 'split A' logo and diagonal design elements, was universally well-received.
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The website rollout process created an internal opportunity for relationship building by involving stakeholders and seeking their input on various pages, fostering excitement for the launch.
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Data-driven confidence in marketing decisions through full cross-funnel visibility comprising persona behaviors and engagement on the website, empowering all departments in the school.
Standing out from the Crowd
Like many schools, Avon Old Farms faced a common digital frustration: a templated website that looked and felt too much like everyone else’s. Despite having an in-house web developer, the platform limited what could be done, leaving the marketing team without a truly differentiated online presence.
Our previous website just wasn't unique. It felt like every other school's, and the vendor offered little support or feedback.
Beyond design, the lack of analytics and ongoing support meant that the site functioned more as a digital brochure than a marketing engine. For a school approaching its centennial — a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tell its story — this wasn’t enough.
Jacqueline Keller
Director of Marketing and Communications
Avon Old Farms
Why UBIQ?
Avon Old Farms didn’t want another static site. They wanted a digital partner who could act like an extension of their team. Jacqueline Keller recommends UBIQ to other schools, emphasizing that its effectiveness depends on the school's team capabilities, as it involves a learning curve to leverage its full potential. They assert that UBIQ is the right choice for marketing, as many school websites neglect their marketing function, and that UBIQ provides the necessary tools to support data-driven marketing decisions.
Jacqueline Keller, Director of Marketing & Communications, recalls the moment UBIQ stood out:
‘’UBIQ felt like an added team member. Catherine’s sales email was real and personal, and their presentation showed us they weren’t just about design — they had the backend analytics we needed. - Jacqueline Keller
The Avon Old Farms team was particularly drawn to UBIQ’s data-driven approach. Instead of relying on gut feel or siloed requests, they wanted a site that would give them the numbers and insights to back up decisions — and even push back when needed.
The Process: Structure Meets CreativityFrom kickoff, UBIQ’s team — Catherine, Dan, Rosie, Susie, and Steve Cole — worked alongside Avon Old Farms with a structured, transparent process. The UBIQ team used project management tools to stay on track and weekly meetings provided peace of mind. When the first design landed, Jacqueline and her team were stunned — not because it needed revisions, but because it didn’t.
The design leveraged Avon Old Farms’ “split A” logo and diagonal visual language, creating something distinctive yet intuitive. It immediately captured attention internally and built excitement for launch. Check out their website in full below. |
The Impact: Efficiency, Buy-In, and Data Confidence
The new website quickly began proving its value. Not just as a marketing tool, but as a catalyst for collaboration across the school.
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Internal Collaboration
The rollout process became an unexpected opportunity to build relationships with stakeholders, who were invited to give input on specific pages. Instead of nitpicking, departments felt heard and were energized by the launch. -
Content Efficiency
The site also unlocked efficiency gains. Jacqueline’s team repurposed high-quality student voice videos for use across different platforms, extending the reach of content without stretching the team’s limited time and resources. -
Marketing Confidence
Perhaps most importantly, the data insights from UBIQ’s platform gave the marketing team confidence. Instead of bowing to unsupported requests, they could point to analytics that clarified what resonated with families. -
Community Engagement
Early feedback was overwhelmingly positive. After promoting the site in the school magazine, alumni and families flocked to explore — paying such close attention that one alumnus even flagged a losing hockey score buried deep in the athletics pages. Engagement was high, and so was enthusiasm.
UBIQ is the right choice for schools serious about marketing. If you want more than a template — if you want data, collaboration, and a true partner — this is the team.”
