Chosen because The Riviera Ridge School won Bronze for Website Homepage Redesign in the 2022 Brilliance Awards. InspirED learns about the project from Jaime Nelson, M.A.E.D, Director of Marketing and Communications.

“I appreciated your dedication to your theme of curiosity and how well it was executed through the visuals, as well as the story cards. The photography was excellent and engaging.”

— Brilliance Awards Judge's Comment

**BEFORE:** The school’s website with the “marymount” name.

**AFTER:** THE RIVIERA RIDGE SCHOOL’S NEW NAME AND NEW WEBSITE.

“The goal of the new website design was to showcase our wonderful school and to announce a name change at the same time — from Marymount to The Riviera Ridge School.”

— Jaime Nelson, Director of Marketing and Communications

Two Goals in One

The goal of the new website design was to showcase the school and announce a name change at the same time — from Marymount to The Riviera Ridge School.

From the announcement on the website concerning the name change:

The name change involved an 18-month strategic planning process,” said Jaime Nelson, the school’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “A lot of people were involved in that decision, and it took years of considering whether it was the right direction for us.

The point of the name change was to make it clear that the school is an independent educational institution that further embodies the School’s philosophy of academic excellence and social and emotional learning while also being inclusive of all faiths and beliefs through our signature Kaleidoscope Program."

Follow The Strategic Plan

The name change was actually the icing on the cake of a 10-year Strategic Plan that was adopted in the fall of 2020 after the 18-month process encompassing the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, parents, and alumni volunteers — which began less than a year after Christina K. Broderick began her tenure as the current Head of School. The school adopted its new Mission, Vision, and Values to reflect updated elements in its commitment as a model of how an independent school should reflect social and emotional intelligence, ethical responsibility, and a global awareness for different values and beliefs. (Source: Montecito Journal, June 21, 2022)

Choose a Theme and Visuals to Expand on It

The web team focused on the “Small Steps to BIG Futures” theme to show how their students lead with curiosity, kindness, and innovation in everything they experience. A key element for the success of the website was the photography that accurately depicted how beautiful their 11.5-acre campus is and how their students use every inch of the campus to explore, learn, innovate, and grow.

“Excellent photography helps this website stand out, clever editing of the photos to bring them to life. I really like the fact you can learn about real life experiences of the pupils and key facts all on one page. End user experience is very good.”

— Brilliance Awards Judge's Comment

Reap the Benefits

Just as The Riviera Ridge School’s leadership had hoped, enrollment has increased since the website’s launch by 10%.

Advice to Others

Ms. Nelson would advise others to build in lots of planning time and scheduled photoshoots. “Trust your gut and if you don’t like the first revision, don’t be afraid to scrap it and begin again.”

The school worked with Interactive Schools and felt that they understand the needs of schools to best represent themselves to prospective families.

Quotes from Parents/Trustees

“The website really speaks to the unique magic of our school. It conveys the whimsical, adventurous, high level learning that makes Riviera Ridge the joyful, supportive place that it is. Students are given opportunities in every subject to try new things, get out of their comfort zone, and ultimately build the confidence that makes them feel like giants!”
—Jenny Deakyne (Parent of 4 current students and 2 alumni)

“The impressive new Riviera Ridge website perfectly captures the spirit of the school – helping its students find their joy as they become active citizens of the world. It also reflects the school’s strengths in preparing its kids for the next stage of life and reminds me why my family chose to send our daughters there from JK through 8th grade. Kudos to the team for bringing the magic of Riviera Ridge to life in this way!”
—Lori Weathers (Alumni parent and current Trustee)

Congratulations, The Riviera Ridge School! You are brilliant!

TEAM
Jaime Nelson, Director of Marketing and Communications
Chris Broderick, Head of School
Molly Seguel, Associate Head of School for Advancement
Rebecca Horrigan, Editor