Merging two systems into one school enrolment journey
Context
Digistorm Funnel handled the back-end enrolment pipeline management while Enrol handled the family-facing application form. The existing enrolment process created friction at multiple points. The process relied on an open form that allowed anyone to start an application, increasing spam and creating additional workload for enrolment teams. From a business perspective, maintaining two separate systems was adding complexity to updates and feature development, making it difficult to deliver a consistent experience across the whole journey.
How might we unify the enrolment experience to reduce friction for families, streamline school operations, and simplify maintenance without compromising the experience?
Research
Returning applicants relied on email to continue their application
Families could only resume their application through a link sent via email, which was not always easy to locate, creating uncertainty about how to return and whether their progress had been saved.
Important information was affecting the primary action
Required documents and instructions were displayed as a long list on the landing page, often pushing the primary call to action further down.
Schools were dealing with spam applications
The open application process allowed anyone to start an application, resulting in increased work for enrolment teams to review each application and manage a high volume of spam submissions.
Schools wanted to maintain a branded experience
Early concepts reduced visual customisation to simplify the build, but feedback from schools highlighted the need to reflect the school's identity for a positive first impression.
Key Interface Decisions
A dedicated flow for returning applicants
Rather than relying solely on a link from an email, the redesigned flow enables families to confidently save their progress and easily continue ongoing applications from multiple entry points.
Dedicated section for documents and support
Required documents and additional information were moved into dedicated sections, with estimated completion time and support contact details added alongside, giving families everything they needed to prepare before getting started.
Verification to improve lead quality
New verification flows for both new and returning applicants to reduce spam submissions while keeping the process straightforward for families with genuine applications.
Branding within a consistent framework
The final design preserved school branding as a differentiator while improving the usability and accessibility across the application experience.
An automated asset-generation workflow
Alongside the enrolment experience, I created a file that enabled the team to quickly generate branded school assets, to streamline page build and setup.
Impact
A clearer path for families at every stage
Returning applicants had a straightforward way back into their applications, and upfront guidance helped families understand what was required before getting started, reducing uncertainty for families and creating a more cohesive experience from start to finish.
Reduced spam, improved lead quality
Enhanced verification significantly reduced the need for manual moderation, improving internal processes while giving schools greater confidence in incoming applications without adding friction for families going through the process.
School identity preserved at scale
Schools retained a customised, professional enrolment experience while benefiting from a more consistent and accessible underlying framework.
A stronger platform foundation
Merging Funnel and Enrol into a single system reduced maintenance overhead, simplified future development, and created a more cohesive enrolment journey from end to end.