Edustyle.net - Inspiration for Campus Web Designers

With the purpose of providing inspiration to designers of higher education web designers, Edustyle has an impressive database of the best-designed “.edu” websites displayed in user-friendly thumbnail format. Users can vote on which sites they like the most and the most popular will appeal on the homepage. There is also a section for re-designed sites and another for new ones as well. Users can also comment on any of the sites and those that are ranked best and worst are displayed. If you’ve ever spent time on edu websites, you might have realized that there is a huge discrepancy between the good and the bad and that some sites are an embarrassment to their institution. Hopefully Edustyle can provide a bit more incentive to ensure that sites are both attractive and intuitive.

“eduStyle is a web design gallery dedicated to higher education websites and powered by higher education web design professionals. Users submit, review, and comment on sites they like (or don't like). The aim is for higher ed web professionals to learn from and be inspired by the work of their peers. Once a month two sites are selected as Noteworthy based on user votes and feedback.”

Hopefully this site will provide a push to the numerous higher education sites out there that are horribly designed. Web designers will like checking this site out for some design ideas as well.

Marketing anything to higher education institutions is very tricky as they are often skeptical about anything vender related. How will the designer of Edustyle succeed in raising awareness of this site throughout the edu community?