WSU: Higher Degree Research Interactive Showcase

Western Sydney University engaged ARK360 to create a dynamic, interactive online experience showcasing the university's top Higher Degree Research candidates and their projects. The goal was to elevate the visibility of WSU's leading academic talent by transforming traditional research profiles into engaging digital stories that inspire, inform and attract collaborators, students and industry partners.

Highlight standout HDR students and their research contributions across key disciplines. Deliver an interactive, user-friendly platform encouraging exploration of individual research stories, attract industry, academic and government stakeholders with a polished digital presence, and position WSU as a destination for top research talent.

Individual researcher profiles combining video interviews, project summaries, research themes and real-world applications. Dynamic filtering by discipline, research theme or impact area, a fully responsive mobile-optimised design, search engine optimisation for organic discoverability, and a content management interface letting admin users manage profiles without technical support.

Built on the Duda low-code platform for the portal, content management and hosting, with Kunstmatrix powering the immersive gallery experience. A modular design system supports growth and future expansion such as event showcases and cross-institutional profiles, with fast load times and optimised media handling for high-quality video and imagery, all adhering to university IT governance and WCAG accessibility standards.

Launched in under 8 weeks, aligned with the academic calendar, showcasing more than 30 HDR researchers with capacity to scale. Positive feedback from faculty, researchers and external visitors, an enhanced perception of WSU's HDR program as a leader in impact-driven research, and new interest sparked from partners and prospective candidates.