When it comes to orienting new students, first impressions matter. For the University of Kentucky (UK), this meant rethinking their traditional paper-based approach to student orientation. Faced with rising printing costs and a growing need for real-time updates, UK set out to create a more modern, connected experience for students and their families.  The solution? A mobile orientation app built with Guidebook’s drag-and-drop platform. With features like personalized schedules, real-time notifications, and interactive campus maps, UK’s Big Blue Nation Orientation app transformed the way students engage with their campus, all while saving time, money, and thousands of printed materials. Here’s how the solution unfolded step-by-step.

The Challenge: Reducing Paper Waste and Boosting Engagement

The University of Kentucky (UK) faced a common challenge: providing new students and their families with a seamless orientation experience. They needed a solution to replace costly, high-maintenance printed materials while ensuring students stayed informed, engaged, and connected. Key challenges included:

• High costs associated with printed materials for 14 yearly orientation sessions.
• A lack of real-time updates for schedules and event information.
• Limited ways to foster student engagement and help them connect with campus resources.

The Solution: Use Guidebook to Build a New Student Orientation App

The University of Kentucky's orientation team turned to Guidebook’s drag-and-drop platform to create the Big Blue Nation Orientation app—all without any coding experience. This mobile orientation app serves as a one-stop resource for orientation attendees, offering essential features like:

• Personalized schedules
• Interactive campus maps
• Real-time updates and notifications

With a user-friendly interface, Taylor Blair, Executive Director of Prospective and New Student Programs, and his team were able to:

• Quickly learn how to build and manage the app using Guidebook’s intuitive platform.
• Make rapid iterations and updates to improve the student experience.
• Empower other team members to make updates without relying on technical expertise.

Key Features in the Big Blue Nation Orientation App

1. Personalized SchedulesStudents can build and access their own schedules, ensuring they never miss a session.
2. Real-Time NotificationsThe mobile orientation app allows for last-minute updates and instant notifications, eliminating the delays associated with printed materials.
3. Interactive Campus MapsStudents can easily navigate campus with maps included in the mobile app for orientation, reducing confusion and helping them feel more at home.
4. To-Do Lists and NotesBuilt-in sections allow users to keep track of important tasks and take notes during sessions.

Results: A Digital Transformation That Engages Students

• 47 Days: Cumulative time attendees spent in the app during orientation.
• 4,044 Downloads: The orientation day app became a must-have tool for attendees.
• 29,731 Schedule Views: Students accessed event schedules frequently.
• 3 Weeks to Build: The new student orientation app was built quickly and efficiently using Guidebook.

The Big Blue Nation Orientation app is now the university’s primary communication source for orientation events, eliminating the need for thousands of paper materials and saving valuable time and resources.

→ Access the Complete Case Study Here

Why the University of Kentucky Chose Guidebook

• Ease of Use: The drag-and-drop interface allowed non-technical staff to build and maintain the mobile orientation app.
• Cost Savings: Transitioning to a mobile app for orientation reduced printing costs significantly.
• Sustainability: Going digital aligned with the university’s sustainability goals.
• Flexibility: “Our app gives us the flexibility to make changes on the fly that create a better experience for students during orientation,” said Taylor Blair.

How to Create a Custom Orientation Day App for Your Organization

If your institution is looking to improve communication, reduce waste, and engage attendees, a mobile orientation app like the Big Blue Nation Orientation app could be the solution. Look for a platform that offers:

• Drag-and-drop app building tools.
• Features like real-time updates and personalized content.
• Comprehensive support and guidance for app builders.

Ready to take the next step? Talk to our sales team and discover how Guidebook can transform your orientation!