Have you ever heard of alumni experience design? To maximise the impact of your network, it is essential to put in place a strategy for your members’ experience. Experience design is a key concept in the creation of services that aim to offer added value to users. In the context of alumni networks, this principle can transform the way your alumni interact with the community and your institution.
There are many issues at stake. A poorly designed experience can quickly become a major obstacle. The latest studies show that 32% of users stop interacting after a single negative experience. What if you looked at your alumni as customers and strengthened your relationship with them?
- What is alumni experience design?
- Why is this useful for your network?
- How can you integrate experience design into your alumni network?
What is alumni experience design?
Experience design goes beyond simply creating products or services. It involves designing every interaction between the user and the organisation so that the overall experience is fluid, pleasant and meaningful. This approach incorporates elements such as ergonomics, aesthetics and, above all, emotion. In addition, the main indicators used to measure the quality of the experience, such as the Net Promoter Score (NPS), the Customer Effort Score (CES) and the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), play a crucial role in this approach.
Why is this useful for your network?
1. Strengthening member commitment
By designing interactions that captivate your alumni, you strengthen their sense of belonging. A well-designed platform, where alumni can easily access resources, take part in events and communicate with each other, increases their engagement.
2. Optimising communication
Targeted communication is essential to keep alumni interested. Use experience design to personalise messages and avoid irrelevant information. This will help you maintain a positive and proactive relationship with alumni. Crucially, 63% of customers say that the best brands exceed their expectations throughout the customer journey.
3. Facilitating networking opportunities
Graduates are looking for opportunities to develop their careers and professional networks. A well-designed alumni experience simplifies access to networking events, job offers and mentoring programmes. Your network becomes a place for productive and enjoyable interactions. Personalisation is a major issue, with members expecting experiences tailored to their needs.
4. Improving fundraising
Donation and membership campaigns also benefit from an alumni experience design. By using an intuitive interface and clearly communicating the impact of donations, institutions can encourage more alumni to contribute financially. Indeed, engaged alumni are 86% more likely to give positive reviews of the organisation and 76% more likely to recommend its courses.
5. Increase the school’s visibility and reputation
A dynamic alumni network plays a crucial role in promoting an institution’s reputation. First and foremost, it is an evaluation criterion for international accreditations and rankings. Secondly, satisfied alumni are more likely to recommend their school, helping to attract new students and partners. What’s more, 32% of users stop interacting after a single negative experience. It is therefore imperative to guarantee a positive user experience.
How can you integrate experience design into your alumni network?
1. Listen to and understand your members
Start with surveys and interviews to understand your alumni’s needs and expectations. Use this information to design strategies that meet their needs. For example, Forvis Mazars solicited feedback from alumni and internal stakeholders to design a range of services aligned to their needs.
2. Test and learn
Create prototypes of your ideas and test them with a small group of users before rolling them out on a large scale. This allows you to identify sticking points and make improvements before the official launch. For example, a new newsletter format, content or online event. Look at the performance indicators and adjust before launching an operation across your entire base.
3. Continuous improvement
Experience design is not a one-off process. Gather feedback constantly and be ready to adapt and improve your services. You can automate this practice very well by preparing a monthly communication. At AlumnForce we send out a satisfaction questionnaire after each webinar, for example.
By integrating these practices, you can transform the engagement of your alumni networks, increasing member satisfaction and loyalty while supporting your institution’s strategic objectives.
In conclusion, the design of the alumni experience represents a powerful lever for strengthening engagement. Adopt a user-centred approach to improve the satisfaction and loyalty of your alumni. It’s also a sure way of stimulating their participation and sense of belonging.
Ultimately, experience design is not just a trend, but a necessity for institutions that want to remain competitive and relevant. By placing alumni at the heart of their strategy and offering them quality interactions, institutions can not only strengthen their network, but also build a dynamic and influential community, ready to support their mission and promote their reputation over the long term.
