Macquarie University

Optimising the Macquarie student experience by mapping the student journey blueprint and identifying key service touchpoints

Challenge

Macquarie university staff frequently receive a high volume of student inquiries, particularly from new students about enrollment and how to get started. Many students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information provided through various channels, which can sometimes be confusing or even conflicting, making it difficult for them to know what steps to take.

Discovery

To understand why students find the information misleading and confusing, we collaborated with internal stakeholders, including staff from various university departments. Our goal was to map out a streamlined blueprint of the student journey, ensuring clarity and consistency as they begin their university life at Macquarie.

Co-design workshop

We facilitated a co-design workshop with university staff, where participants collaboratively brainstormed the essential tasks and key factors that contribute to a successful student enrollment and onboarding experience. Together, we mapped out critical service touchpoints, such as email communications and university website content, at each stage of the student journey. This is crucial as it ensured that we could deliver unified, simplified, and consistent messaging across all channels.

During the workshop, I observed that university staff often operate in silos, which leads to a lack of communication between departments. This, in return, increases the likelihood of inconsistent information being communicated to students.

Competitor workshop

To identify knowledge gaps compared to other local universities, I conducted a comprehensive competitor analysis of five institutions, mapping out their communication methods and service touchpoints. We then organized a competitor workshop with university staff, where participants used green and red dots to vote on the service components and communication strategies they liked or disliked from other universities. This exercise was crucial in ensuring that our approach to a streamlined student journey was inclusive and thoughtfully considered all relevant factors.

Streamlined student journey map

Building on the outcomes of two workshops, we developed a streamlined journey map for new students, starting from when they receive an offer from Macquarie University through to their onboarding. The map outlines the typical steps, from offer acceptance to course enrolment, that both domestic and international students are expected to follow. It also details key service touchpoints—such as communications, the current student website, student systems, and the Student Service Centre—at each stage, and outlines strategies for effectively integrating these touchpoints for long-term success.