Higher education branding and enrollment strategy strengthens student engagement
ThinkPod has proudly partnered with the University of Notre Dame since 2016, supporting a wide range of branding, web, and design initiatives across campus divisions. This case study highlights our collaboration with the Enrollment Division to develop a refreshed brand identity that speaks to today’s students and families while honoring the university’s iconic legacy.
Since 2016
enrollment brand partner
The client
About the client
The University of Notre Dame has been one of the country’s best-known universities since its founding in 1842. It is one of 71 members of the Association of American Universities and enrolls more than 13,000 students across eight colleges and schools. ThinkPod has worked with Notre Dame for more than 10 years, with its Enrollment Division, its administration, and programs across the university, including the AnBryce Scholars Initiative for first-generation scholar-leaders. This case study focuses on the enrollment work.
“ThinkPod has done a remarkable job of learning our brand and helping us communicate our story. They always take the same care and thought with small projects as they do with larger initiatives. We highly recommend them to organizations looking to move their brand forward in a creative and meaningful way.”
Geoff Young, Marketing Director, University of Notre Dame
The challenge
The University of Notre Dame’s Enrollment Division needed to modernize its visual brand to better engage prospective students and their families. With evolving expectations around digital experiences and increased competition among top-tier universities, their existing materials no longer reflected the clarity, consistency, or visual impact needed to stand out in today’s higher education landscape.
The solution
ThinkPod collaborated with the Enrollment team to create a refreshed visual identity that balanced tradition with a more contemporary look and feel. We developed updated brand elements, clarified messaging, and applied the new design across key materials, including the viewbook and fact sheet, to keep them aligned and consistent. The result was a cohesive, professional brand experience that supported the university’s enrollment goals and strengthened engagement with prospective students and parents.
What we did
Our approach
- Audience & market research
- Enrollment-focused brand strategy
- Visual identity design & style guide
- Messaging framework & tagline development
- Print collateral design (viewbook & fact sheet)
- Email template design for prospective student campaigns
- Information design & custom infographics
- Cross-media brand consistency
The work
University of Notre Dame viewbook
ThinkPod Agency refreshed Notre Dame’s Enrollment Division viewbook to align with updated brand standards and improve clarity, structure, and design. The new layout highlights key differentiators in a more concise, visually organized format, making it easier for prospective students and families to evaluate the university’s offerings during the college selection process.
The work
University of Notre Dame fact sheet
ThinkPod Agency redesigned the Enrollment Division’s Fact Sheet to present more data in a cleaner, more accessible format. Using custom illustrations and infographics, we organized key information in a way that aligned with the updated brand while improving usability for prospective students, families, and advisors. The result is a polished, on-brand resource that delivers clarity and consistency across materials.
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Next step
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What clients say
From the people we work with
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Wesley Fike, NATCON (National Consolidated Corporation)
“Extremely communicative provider, excellent at explaining what the plan is and how to implement the services. Also very flexible as schedules continue to change.”
Lori Near, Fibertec Environmental Services
“ThinkPod has been our partner for a few years now. They are great to work with! The work product is excellent and they provide a personal touch that shows they truly care about improving your business. Can’t recommend them enough!”
Jeff Franger, Owner, Franger Gas
“I’ve had some pretty unique web functionality needs, and they have met my expectation each and every time. The team is prompt anytime we need changes made, or when anything comes up. What I like most is their willingness to research solutions and think outside the box.”
Charlene Bell, Coordinator, IU Health Goshen
“I work closely with ThinkPod Agency almost every day. Their responsiveness to our requests is outstanding and they are dependable to do what they say they will do. They are very knowledgeable and if we are working on a difficult issue, they keep at it until it’s resolved.”
Julie Mahoney, Community Outreach Data Specialist, Goshen Health
“ThinkPod communicated our mission and message in a creative, clear and concise format. Aubrey and her team are so easy to work with and always provide a quick turn-around time.”
Heather Adams, Manager, University of Notre Dame, McDonald Center for Student Well-Being
“ThinkPod is a top notch agency. I have worked and used them for many years. They really know how to deliver a solid solutions that make their clients look world-class.”
Art Hicks, Owner, ViviScape
