NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts
A Pas de Deux: side•sea & e9digital
We partnered with New York-based digital agency e9digital to help the NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts draw attention to their impressive program while still following the strict guidelines and security requirements set forth by NYU.
Development
• 
Technical Direction
HERE’S THE LOWDOWN
The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York NYU is an institute dedicated to reimagining the art of ballet in a way that honors its history and practice while still bringing its performances into the 21st century. They approached our partner agency e9digital for a full reimagining of the sites design and user experience, and in turn, e9digital reached out to us for help on a few UX and programming obstacles. What we accomplished was a highly functional, interactive site that acted as a community gathering place for past, present, and future members of the CBA family, while adhering to the strict established NYU branding and security requirements.
A User Experience for Everyone

The first big obstacle we were tasked with tackling: finding a way to engage CBA’s multiple audiences. The website needed to function as a resource for past, present, and future students of the program; most notably, they wanted a way to keep their alumni engaged after completing their fellowship. 

Creating Living Profiles

Our answer to this was to build an interactive directory for past and present student fellows. Users that fell into these categories had access to an active profile which they could update with their current and future projects. This allowed and motivated fellows to return to the site as a way to stay connected with their past and present students. 

An Updated Information Hub
We also designed and built out an attractive events system, allowing CBA to keep past and current fellows apprised of the happenings within the program. Making elements like fellow profiles and upcoming events accessible and compelling, we’re motivating users to keep returning to the site for information, rather than seeking it elsewhere.
A Mixed-Media Masterpiece
To address prospective fellows of CBA, we created a new workflow for applying to fellowships that mirrored the trends of modern online processes, using mixed media, clear outlines of process, and engaging landing pages. Tightening and livening up the application process adds a tremendous amount of credibility to the program and instills a sense of competency and trust with prospective students.
Keeping High Standards and High Security
Working with a big institution like NYU came with some unique design and development challenges. We had to adhere to their strict branding guidelines and ensure we met their high security standards. We mitigated any missteps along the way by working closely with the client—they approved all design assets and ran security audits on the site throughout the development process.
Let's work together to bring your vision to life.
PROJECT TEAM
Jennifer Chew
PROJECT MANAGER
Orion Alden
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Maggie Nugent
Content Director
Hunter McPeak
DESIGNER
Lena Ovcharenko
Developer
Meet Side•Sea
What We Learned
The ability to work with cooperatively with partners is a big part of what keeps side•sea agile. Our partnership with e9digital introduces us to clients we wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to work with, and working with large organizations like NYU requires us to stay continually informed of the latest practices and standards across various industries and sectors. When we interact with a variety of teams with a diverse range of backgrounds and practices, we ensure that our own team is constantly learning and evolving, and we like it that way.
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