BASIS Independent
Simplifying and standardizing the form submission experience to increase inquiries
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Client: BASIS Independent Schools
Basis Independent Schools operates multiple school locations across the U.S., each with
its own website and form experience. Over time, this resulted in multiple form types, inconsistent fields,
and different experiences across locations.
I was tasked with evaluating the existing form system and identifying opportunities to create a
simpler, more consistent, and scalable experience for prospective families across all school websites.
My Role
UX/UI Designer & Researcher
Team
1 UX/UI Designer & Researcher
1 Director of Web Product Marketing
2 BASIS stakeholders, including VP of Admissions and Director of Marketing
2 Developers
THE OPPORTUNITY
Timeline
2 months
Tools
Figma
Google slides
Zoom
Google analytics
This project was part of a larger website redesign across BASIS Independent Schools. This case study focuses specifically on the research, strategy, and redesign of the form experience.
TOO MANY FORMS, TOO MANY VARIATIONS
As I audited the existing experience across BASIS Independent
Schools, I found that each location had developed its own approach
to forms. There were multiple form types serving overlapping
purposes, and form fields varied from school to school.
The lack of consistency created a fragmented experience for
families and made the system more difficult to scale and maintain.
7 types of forms:
Contact Us
Application
Blog
Interest List
Share Your Thoughts
Where Should We Go?
Events:
a) Info sessions
b) Open house
c) Campus tours
d) Curriculum night
e) 1:1 admissions calls
f) Entrance exam
How might we simplify the form experience while still capturing the information schools need?
I conducted a competitive analysis of how other schools were handling their form submission process, and
what I found was that most competitors relied on a much simpler structure. They had:
Schedule a Tour form: Most competitors’ primary conversion point.
Application form: Some competitors offered an application if families were required to apply to the school.
Interestingly enough, many schools did not have a Contact form. Contact details were provided without
requiring a form. Additionally, forms for interest lists, feedback, blogs, and location suggestions were uncommon.
Competitors provided their contact details without requiring a form.
After this analysis, I concluded the BASIS Schools existing form ecosystem was more complex than necessary.
VALIDATING USER NEEDS
While competitors did not offer blog subscription forms, I conducted a survey with 14 parents, and the survey revealed a clear user need: 14 out of 14 parents said they would be interested in subscribing to their child’s school blog
This validated keeping the blog form as part of the simplified experience, despite it being uncommon among competitors.
KEY INSIGHTS & DESIGN DIRECTION
add the before and after and why/how you consolidtaed each form
Insight #1:
Too many forms
Interest List and Contact Us forms are merged. Stakeholders shared they also wanted to create a new Summer Interest List form.
Consolidating these into one form solution…………………………..
“lorem lorem lorem.”
Key Themes: needed? i dont think need this section
lorem lorem lorem
lorem lorem lorem
lorem lorem lorem
lorem lorem lorem
These insights became the foundation for the new website templates
and guided our design decisions throughout the project.
CREATING CONSISTENCY
Now zoom in from the form types to the form fields.
Show two or three schools side-by-side:
Before:
School A → 8 fields
School B → 11 fields
School C → 9 fields
After:
All schools → standardized field structure
Once the form types were consolidated, I standardized the fields within each experience so families would encounter a familiar interaction regardless of which Basis Independent school they were visiting.
Make the Info More Visible
Programs and club options are not represented on the website; add more details about the curriculum and schedules.
Specific Campus Info
Each page should be individualized with specific content that relates to that particular campus.
Tuition Page Pricing
Pricing is not currently shown for all grades and should be.
More Warmth
Have a more family, same, nurturing feel; show partnership
between parents and teachers.
Modern Aesthetic
Website is outdated and needs a more modern feel.
Professional Photos
Larger, more professional-looking images, showcasing all the
age groups taught, from preschool to high school.
THE NEW EXPERIENCE
show the actual redesigned forms in Figma.
Don't just show the final form. Use callouts to explain the important decisions:
Reduced unnecessary fields
Standardized information collected
Clearer hierarchy
More consistent CTA
Simplified form structure
Responsive/mobile considerations
This should be a visual-heavy section, not a wall of text.
DID IT WORK?
INTRODUCE INQUIRY DATA FROM DOMO
By simplifying and standardizing the form experience, we created a more consistent system across locations while reducing unnecessary friction for prospective families.
REFLECTION
This project reinforced that good UX isn't always about adding more. In this case, the biggest opportunity came from stepping back and questioning whether all of the existing experiences were necessary in the first place. Simplifying the system made the experience easier to navigate for families and easier to scale across the organization.
Preschool Site: Program Page
Before
After
Elementary/Middle School: Admissions Process Page
After
Before
High School: College Counseling Page
After
Before
DESIGN IMPACT
A scalable foundation for four distinct school experiences
Four responsive website templates
Distinct visual identities within one brand
Age-group-specific visual/content approaches
Stakeholder-approved designs
Development-ready handoff
Project Status
Following stakeholder design approval and developer handoff, the project is currently on hold
due to development budget and bandwidth constraints, with conversations ongoing about
resuming implementation.
REFLECTIONS MOVING FORWARD
Designing with the bigger picture in mind
Designing four related multi-site experiences pushed me to think beyond individual pages and consider how design decisions would work across an entire ecosystem. I learned to identify patterns that could create consistency without limiting the needs of each site and its audience.
Balancing competing needs
Working closely with stakeholders throughout the research and design process helped balance business goals, user needs, and the practical requirements of creating a cohesive multi-site experience.
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