Virtual Campus Tour

PROJECT #3

Explore IE University’s Campuses Right Where You Are!

An Immersive Experience from Anywhere in the World

If you’re eager to explore IE University’s campuses in Spain but can’t wait to visit in person, we have fantastic news for you! At IE University, we have perfected the art of blending the virtual and physical worlds to create an immersive experience that can be accessed from anywhere. You can now explore our campuses in Madrid and Segovia right from the comfort of your own location.

How Does it Work?

The process is quite simple. Start by visiting the Virtual Campus Tour landing page, where you’ll find the option to explore either Madrid or Segovia. Once you choose your preferred option, you’ll be presented with the choice of the full version or the simple version. For the best experience, we recommend selecting the full version. From there, you just need to follow the intuitive prompts and let the tour take you on a captivating journey.

When exploring the Madrid campus, you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the Student Hub, Library, spacious classrooms, team-working spaces, and more. Don’t forget to visit the iconic IE Tower! At any point during the tour, you can click on the “show other locations” option in the top-right corner to access a wide range of physical spaces, including the opportunity to visit the Segovia Campus. In the real world, Segovia is located less than two hours away from Madrid. In IE University’s virtual environment, you can seamlessly switch between the two campuses with just a click of a button.

The Segovia tour will guide you through the magnificent Convent of Santa Cruz la Real, a historic site built in 1218 and beautifully restored to provide modern, high-impact educational spaces and resources. You have the freedom to choose which locations you want to explore, whether it’s the Oven (the media studio), the Fab Lab (a workshop studio), the Architecture Studio, or many other exciting spots. Take your time to look around and immerse yourself in the wonders of the Segovia Campus, as there are plenty of intriguing locations waiting to be discovered.

Research About How and Why Potential Undergraduate Students Explore University Campuses

IE University’s student body consists of 75% international students, with individuals coming from over 130 countries each year to pursue their Bachelor’s Degree in Madrid and Segovia. However, a significant portion of these students are unable to visit the campuses before their programs begin. This poses a challenge in showcasing IE University’s campuses and facilities, which play a crucial role in students’ decision-making process.

Research data indicates that the campus and facilities are key factors for students when choosing where to study. IE University recognizes the importance of providing unique technological and cutting-edge learning environments to ensure unparalleled educational experiences. The question then arises: How can we effectively demonstrate all these locations, resources, and spaces to prospective candidates who are unable to physically visit the campus during the application process?

Here’s a Summary of What We Did:

1. PERSONAS & PROBLEMS SCENARIOS

Researched primary and secondary data about the importance of campus tours.
Drafted design thinking workshops guides.
Conducted interviews with physical tour guides.
Drafted personas and problems scenarios.

2. PROPOSITION DESIGN & TESTING

Drafted pivotal hypotheses.
Developed assumptions.
Created virtual tour concierge MVP.
Defined metrics for measurement and success.
Experiment design and iteration.

3. SOFTWARE DESIGN
& PROTOTYPING

Storyboarded key customer journeys to reach and navigate the virtual tour.
Drafted user stories and story maps.
Created campus tour prototypes for consumption and navigation testing.

4. USABILITY TESTING & INTERFACE ITERATION

Designed and validated the usability of the virtual tour.
Created interactive tour prototype (only one building for testing).
Conducted usability test with students, parents, and admissions team.
Validated prototype after tests.
Virtual campus tour development and deployment.

Personas and Problem Scenarios:

For this project, our main focus was to examine how potential candidates perceive and compare university campuses, both through online and offline channels. To gain a comprehensive understanding, we conducted extensive research using a combination of primary research methods, such as interviews and observations, and secondary data analysis. Our objective was to determine the significance of campus visibility and experience for prospective undergraduate students, including their interest in exploring various spaces, laboratories, green areas, classrooms, cafeterias, and other facilities.

We formulated a hypothesis that if students were provided with the opportunity to virtually see and experience the campus, it would enhance their inclination to complete the application process. Through our interviews and observations, we identified several key focal points that emerged from the data analysis. These focal points include:

“I want to explore the campus, but I cannot go there physically.”
“I would like to know more about the university’s campus and compare it with others.”
“I want to see what the IE University campus can offer me.”
“I wish to learn more about IE University’s facilities, classrooms, and learning spaces.”
“I want to learn about the sports facilities available on the IE University campus.”
“I want to see the university campus to be sure that this institution is the right option for me.”

Interview Questions Examples:

Our project had a broad objective and area of inquiry. To ensure adherence to standard and recommended research guidelines, we initially formulated general questions and gradually refined them as we proceeded with the interviews:

How important would you say it is to visit a university’s campus during the admission process?
Have you visited other universities’ campuses during your admission process?
Would you travel abroad to visit a university campus of your choice?
What are the most important places/locations/areas that you would like to see if you visit a university campus?
…
..
.

PROBLEM SCENARIO	ALTERNATIVE	VALUE PROPOSITION
Helga the high school student wishes to visit the campus but is expensive to travel to do so.	She could schedule a trip by buying a ticket, paying for a hotel, etc. but this would be costly.	IE University’s Virtual Campus Tour can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Helga de high school student wishes to know more about universities’ campuses before deciding to start her application.	She could visit several universities, some of which are located in different countries, to explore in person the different campuses.	IE University’s Virtual Campus Tour allows Helga to explore the institution’s campuses whenever she chooses and using any device.

The Virtual Campus Tour holds significant value as a commercial asset for IE University. It plays a crucial role in engaging with over 20,000 undergraduate candidates who initiate their online applications annually, providing them with a distinctive and exceptional experience. This tour is distributed across various channels, including marketing automation workflows, websites, landing pages, thank you emails, and more, ensuring its widespread accessibility and impact.

User Stories:

We anchored our work on user stories like this:

EPIC STORY:

As Helga de high school student, I want to explore the IE University campus so that I can learn more about its different locations, resources, and spaces and decide if this is the right university for me.

CHILD STORIES:

As a high school student, Helga wants to explore the IE University campus to see all that it has to offer.
As a high school student, Helga wants to know if the IE University campus has accommodations facilities available so that she can live near/on campus.
As a high school student, Helga wants to know if the university campuses have athletics facilities so that she can practice her sports.
As a high school student, Helga wants to know more about cutting-edge technologies available on campus so that she can evaluate if this is important for her learning journey.

What We Built:

VISIT THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR

Results Summary:

Between January 2021 and November 2022, the Virtual Campus Tour received over 150,000 views, indicating a significant level of engagement from the audience.
The automated email featuring the Virtual Campus Tour has proven to be highly effective, as it boasts an impressive open rate of over 40% and a click-through rate (CTR) of over 25%.
Originally conceived as an experiment focused on undergraduate programs, the Virtual Campus Tour yielded outstanding results, prompting its expansion to include all of IE University’s buildings.
Data showed that potential candidates who saw the tour were 5X times more likely to start their online application process.
Data showed that over 75% of enrolled students utilized the Virtual Campus Tour at some stage during their application process, emphasizing its importance as a resource for exploring the IE University campuses.

The Next Step: Virtual Reality!

Following the initial release of the Virtual Tour, we continued to iterate and improve its functionalities, with a focus on enhancing the user experience. As part of this ongoing development, we made the decision to create a Virtual Reality (VR) adaptation of the tour specifically optimized for Oculus lenses. This VR tour is now utilized in IE University’s international offices, which span across more than 30 locations worldwide. It enables potential students visiting these offices to experience a lifelike exploration of the campuses, providing them with a sense of being physically present in the environment.