UX Case Study: Education

Improving the Enrollment Experience for Families

Overview

The Greenbrier County Schools enrollment page contains essential information for families but presents it in a way that creates confusion and cognitive overload. Inconsistent tone, unclear hierarchy, and dense formatting make it difficult for parents to complete a time-sensitive task.

This case study focuses on rewriting and restructuring the content to improve clarity, accessibility, and user confidence — without changing the underlying requirements.

Approach

Each project is guided by a clearly defined design or strategy principle that informs content decisions, structure, and user experience outcomes.

Design Principle

Organize enrollment content by parent task and decision stage, prioritizing clarity, accessibility, and step-by-step guidance while reducing structural and formatting barriers to completion.

User Context

Primary users:

  • Parents and caregivers enrolling a child
  • New families unfamiliar with district procedures


User state:

  • Time-constrained
  • Often stressed or overwhelmed
  • Likely accessing the page on mobile
  • Seeking clear next steps, not promotional content

Problems Identified

1. Unclear hierarchy

Headings, body text, and promotional content appear visually similar, making it difficult to scan or identify key sections.

2. Cognitive overload

Long paragraphs, dense lists, and mixed content force users to read carefully instead of quickly finding what they need.

3. Inconsistent tone

The writing shifts between overly academic language and overly casual phrasing that includes punctuation errors, which undermines trust and professionalism.

4. Task and marketing conflict

Enrollment instructions are mixed with promotional messaging, interrupting task completion.

5. Poor scannability

Tight spacing and long blocks of text increase visual fatigue and slow comprehension.

UX Goals

  • Help families quickly understand where and how to enroll
  • Reduce stress through clear, supportive language
  • Separate task-based information from promotional content
    Improve scannability and logical flow
  • Use plain language that feels calm and professional

Solution

I restructured the page to follow a task-first content hierarchy:

  1. What enrollment is and where it happens
  2. Who to contact for different enrollment types
  3. What documents families need to bring
  4. Optional information about why families choose the district

I also rewrote the content using:

  • plain, accessible language
  • clear section headers different enrollment types
  • grouped lists instead of dense paragraphs
  • a neutral, supportive tone

Rewritten Content

Enroll Your Child in Greenbrier County Schools

Enrolling your child in Greenbrier County Schools is a straightforward process. Families may enroll at their home school, determined by their attendance zone. 

Not sure which school your child should attend? 
Contact the Transportation Office at 304-647-6461 for assistance.

Enrollment Options

Please contact the appropriate office for the following enrollment types: 

  • Pre-K Enrollment: 304-647-7105
  • Virtual School Enrollment: 304-647-6470
  • Homeschool Enrollment: 304-647-6466

What to Bring When You Enroll

Please bring the following documents when enrolling your child.
(Additional requirements may apply for Pre-K and Kindergarten.)

Required documents:

  • Two proofs of residency
  • Proof of 2023 income (W-2s or tax return)
  • Official state-issued birth certificate (original, not a copy)
  • Immunization record
  • Child’s Social Security card
  • Name and address of previous school
  • Custody papers, if applicable

Health records:

  • Five-year physical or Health Check Exam form (Kindergarten)
  • Relevant physicals (Grades 1–12)
  • Copy of most recent dental exam

Why Families Choose Greenbrier County Schools (Secondary Section)

Greenbrier County Schools offer a tuition-free education focused on academic success, safety, and student support.

Families choose GCS for:

  • a comprehensive academic and extracurricular curriculum
  • certified and highly qualified teachers
  • strong accountability and assessment practices
  • safe and secure school environments
  • robust student support services
  • one-to-one educational technology
  • free afterschool programming
  • free meals and transportation
  • virtual learning and school choice options
  • strong community partnerships

Revision Summary

This revised structure:

  • prioritizes task completion
  • reduces cognitive load
  • supports stressed users with clear, calm language
  • improves accessibility and scannability
  • separates enrollment instructions from promotional messaging

The result is a more usable, user-centered enrollment experience for families.

Results and Impact

Simplified enrollment decision pathways by reorganizing content around parent task stages

Improved clarity and accessibility through plain-language rewriting and consistent hierarchy

Reduced information overload by grouping requirements into scannable, step-based sections

Supported faster task completion by aligning content structure with real enrollment workflows