Web Design for Colleges and Universities

Web Design · Wordpress · React

Murder Maps: Interactive Data and Immersive Storytelling

Our work with Cambridge University and Professor Manuel Eisner began in 2017 with a unique academic initiative: the Murder Maps. Initially a basic visualisation of murders in medieval London, the project evolved into a fully interactive university website. It now supports podcasts, location-based filters, voiceovers and more, highlighting how education website design can transform research into a digital experience.

We rebuilt the university website design from the ground up, creating a robust, scalable platform that delivers both usability and impact. The result is a modern site that supports the needs of prospective and current students, academics and global users alike.

Key Features and Achievements

Headless Content Management System

We used WordPress as a headless content management system with a front end in React, enabling flexibility and performance. This setup supports multiple educational sites under one roof, making it ideal for larger education providers. A custom website template ensured visual consistency, while integration with Google Maps SDK delivered a seamless interactive experience. All these elements came together to support a user-friendly and future-proof university website.

High-Profile Coverage and Global Reach

The launch gained global media attention, with features in CNN, BBC, the New York Times, and the Japanese newspaper Mainichi. The success highlighted how effective education websites can attract wide-reaching audiences, even beyond higher education. It also positioned Cambridge as a prime example of how a university website can promote research, engage users, and strengthen its global reputation.

Strong Site Performance

Day one brought in over 22,000 users, generating 379,000 page views. Thanks to strong architecture and performance optimisation, the site remained stable throughout. Optimised forms and sticky CTAs supported conversion rate optimisation, while rich website content boosted rankings in search engine results and improved visibility across major search engines.

Ongoing Impact

Today, the Murder Maps website continues to be used by students, historians and the public. It’s a working academic reference, a virtual tour of historical events, and a prime example of what’s possible in higher education website design. It shows how a university website can combine research, storytelling and technology to create lasting educational value.

Web Design for Colleges and Universities project overview

Featured in publications across the globe including NYT, Guardian, BBC, Sky, CNN & More.

Client Impact
Professor Eisner has actively promoted our web design expertise across departments at Cambridge. This has led to further opportunities within the higher education sector, and his feedback highlights the importance of close collaboration between marketing teams, faculty, and our in house team.

Ongoing Collaboration
The new university website reflects both academic depth and the universities brand, offering high-quality functionality wrapped in a tailored interface. Through carefully planned digital strategy, we’ve helped Cambridge University stand out with a bespoke website that’s informative, interactive and accessible on all mobile devices.

A Model for Education Website Design

Whether you’re building a college website, revamping your education website, or launching a new school website, your online presence needs to reflect your values, showcase your course offerings, and enhance the university experience.

Design Monkey specialises in college website design, offering custom solutions that match your school’s values and speak directly to prospective students. From showcasing student life and research projects to integrating UI design best practices, we help you create sites that make strong first impressions and support your institution's goals.

“Sam and the Design Monkey team were outstanding partners in the development of the Medieval Murder Map project. They have created a beautifully designed, user-friendly, and popular website. Design Monkey understood what we wanted to achieve and turned our ideas into great solutions. An exceptionally helpful and professional team, absolutely amazing.”

Prof. Manuel EisnerInstitute of Criminology at Cambridge University

Why Choose Us?

We help colleges and universities create future-ready digital platforms. Whether you're updating an old college or university website, launching a new website, or seeking better tools to support campus life, we can help.

Our experience covers the full range of website design, from school website design to custom education website design for leading institutions like Cambridge University and beyond. We’re proud to have supported two schools, numerous colleges, and multiple departments in building bespoke websites that combine visual appeal, functionality, and performance.

Looking to upgrade your college or university website?

Whether you're a design college, a large university, or part of a wider network of education providers, we’d love to help you create a site that delivers for your students, staff, and stakeholders.

Get in touch

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