Please describe your company and position.
I am the Research Assistant of York University
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
York University is a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff driving positive change. As one of the largest post-secondary communities in the world and with a uniquely global perspective, we are driven by passion and purpose as part of a forward-thinking collective bringing enduring values and new ideas to complex societal challenges. The York University staff and faculty community benefit from opportunities for career advancement, learning and development, and personal growth while creating positive change for our students and broader communities.
How many teammates from Arounda were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Arounda approached the engagement with a structured yet flexible methodology. The project began with a comprehensive discovery phase, where their team conducted stakeholder interviews across departments, including admissions officers, IT personnel, and student representatives. What stood out was their willingness to listen carefully and synthesize insights from very different user groups into a unified design direction. The scope of work included a full UX audit of our existing platforms, followed by the creation of detailed user personas and journey maps. They redesigned key flows such as application submission, course enrollment, and internal dashboard navigation for staff. Wireframes were developed and iterated collaboratively before moving into high-fidelity UI designs. In terms of deliverables, Arounda provided a complete design system tailored to our brand, ensuring consistency across current and future digital products. They also delivered interactive prototypes that allowed our internal teams to test usability in real scenarios before development. Additionally, they documented design guidelines and usability principles, which became a valuable internal resource for ongoing projects. One particular moment that highlighted their approach was during a usability testing session with a group of international students. Arounda facilitated the session and observed subtle interaction challenges that we had previously overlooked, such as confusion around terminology and navigation labels. These insights directly influenced design refinements that made the platform more globally intuitive.
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The outcomes were evident shortly after implementation. Students began navigating core processes with fewer interruptions, and internal feedback from faculty indicated that administrative tools felt more streamlined and less time-consuming to use. Our support teams also noticed a decline in repetitive inquiries related to navigation issues, which suggested that the user experience had become more self-explanatory.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
From a project management standpoint, Arounda demonstrated a high level of organization and transparency. Milestones were clearly communicated, and deliverables were consistently shared when expected. When adjustments were needed, they were responsive and solution-oriented rather than rigid. There were instances where our internal timelines shifted due to academic calendar constraints, and Arounda adapted without compromising the overall progress of the project.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
What impressed us most was their ability to balance creativity with practicality. They didn’t just design visually appealing interfaces; they grounded every decision in user behavior and institutional context. Their team showed genuine curiosity about how a university ecosystem functions, which translated into solutions that felt tailored rather than generic.
Are there any areas for improvement or something Arounda could have done differently?
If there is an area where they could further enhance their service, it would be in extending post-delivery support frameworks. While the handover documentation was thorough, having a more structured follow-up phase for continuous optimization could add even more long-term value, especially for institutions like ours where digital platforms evolve continuously. Overall, working with Arounda felt less like outsourcing a project and more like collaborating with a team that was invested in improving how our community interacts with technology.
