Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS)
In 2022, Vermont Law School embraced a new identity as Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS), reflecting its expanded academic programs and forward-thinking mission. Known nationally for excellence in environmental law, restorative justice, and climate change law, VLGS needed more than a name change. They sought a digital presence that would cut through confusion, simplify their complex navigation, and elevate their visibility to prospective students and stakeholders. That’s where we came in. VLGS partnered with us to design a site that doesn’t just look good (it does!) but also has to engage their community, drive recruitment, and solidify their evolving brand.
Scope of Work
- Information Architecture
- Copywriting
- Website Design & Development
- Search Engine Optimization
- Website Maintenance
A Clear Brand for a Growing Institution
The rebrand to VLGS wasn’t just about updating a logo—it was about unifying their identity across every touchpoint. Adding a graduate school to their offerings meant potential confusion for their audience, which we tackled head-on by ensuring clarity and consistency throughout the website. Every page, section, and word was carefully reviewed and revised to reinforce their new identity while steering clear of outdated references to the previous brand.
From Chaos to Clarity: Streamlining Navigation
Over time, VLGS’s website had grown unwieldy, with layers of updates from different departments creating a site that was difficult to navigate. Key information was buried under multiple levels of subpages, and some pages offered minimal content. We took on the challenge of untangling and streamlining the site, focusing on creating an intuitive structure that prioritized user experience. Every page and piece of content was carefully evaluated—some were rewritten, others consolidated, and unnecessary redundancies removed—all while ensuring no critical information was lost.
The result is a sleek, easy-to-navigate site where prospective students can find program information in just a few clicks, and current students and faculty have quick access to the resources they need.
Before
After
SEO Built from the Ground Up
VLGS had never developed a comprehensive SEO strategy before this project, so we started from the ground up. We began by analyzing the user journey and target audience, aligning the site structure with how prospective students search for information. This approach ensured the site not only tells the VLGS story but also ranks for high-value keywords. To protect their existing SEO equity, we identified and redirected hundreds of pages, avoiding any loss of traffic or orphaned content during the transition. We also optimized the content with industry-specific terms to boost visibility and ensure it aligned with user search behaviors. The result is a site that positions VLGS as a leader in its field while driving meaningful, targeted traffic.
A Digital Platform That Delivers on Every Front
VLGS’s new website is more than just visually stunning—it’s designed for speed, accessibility, and seamless functionality. It passes Google Web Vitals with exceptional scores, ensuring top-tier performance across devices.We also migrated the site from Drupal to WordPress, making updates simple and empowering their team to maintain the site without unnecessary complexity. The site now stands as a digital home that serves prospective students, faculty, and alumni alike while showcasing the bold vision of VLGS.
2.3s
Desktop Load Time
5.6s
Mobile Load Time
100
SEO Google Web Vitals Score for Mobile and Desktop
96
Accessibility Google Web Vitals Score for Mobile and Desktop
“The First Ascent team took the time to understand our brand and key audiences, as well as the pain points of our old website. They created an elegant and functional design that showcases the identity of our school, and the result is a vastly improved user experience.”
Lisa Lance
Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Vermont Law and Graduate School
Award-winning Results
By tackling brand clarity, navigation challenges, and SEO strategy, we delivered a site that aligns with VLGS’s mission and positions them for continued success. This digital platform encapsulates who they are—a vibrant, forward-thinking institution dedicated to shaping the next generation of changemakers. The impact of our work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The redesigned site earned a 2024 MarCom Gold Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.
