What’s changing on Arizona.edu?
By Jade Norden, University Marketing and Communications
A new look, simpler navigation and improved search make the university’s digital front door easier to use – and more distinctly Arizona.
Whether they are deciding if the University of Arizona is right for them, learning about research or searching for employee resources, visitors to Arizona.edu will find a redesigned website built to make information easier to find and highlight the university’s story.
For prospective students, the redesign creates clearer paths to information about academic programs, campus life, tuition and cost, financial aid and the admissions process.
As the U of A’s digital front door, the new Arizona.edu showcases to new and returning visitors the university’s culture, people, research and impact in Arizona and beyond.
Built around visitors’ needs
More than 30 employees from University Marketing and Communications, Campus Web Services and Enrollment Marketing worked together on the redesign, a process that began with research and development in May 2025.
Sabre Sarnataro
“The close collaboration was extremely important because they were our key partners in creating an experience that represents the university as a whole,” said Sabre Sarnataro, executive director of digital strategy in University Marketing and Communications.
The team conducted competitive analysis, surveys, content audits, analytics reviews and usability testing to understand how visitors use Arizona.edu. They also evaluated the current state of digital experience and what users come to expect from website experiences in the age of AI.
“We heard from audiences that they did not necessarily feel like the old website represented our culture as much as they would like to see, so that was a huge consideration in the approach we took to redesigning the new site,” Sarnataro said. “We also dove deep into understanding how audiences engage and interact with websites in an ever-evolving technological landscape.”
Research also showed that users wanted an easier way to find information and a better search experience, Sarnataro said. Prospective students and their families shared a need for clearer guidance and quicker access to information about admissions, financial aid and campus visits. The team used those findings to rethink how prospective students move through the site.
A more distinctly Arizona experience
The reimagined website brings the U of A to life through new photography, videos and written content that reflect the university’s Wildcat spirit, student life, community engagement and mission as a land-grant university.
The redesigned Arizona.edu includes the new brand embellishments and textures, creating a more consistent look across the university's websites.
The updated design also incorporates the new brand embellishments and textures, including an Arizona Blue banner, updated heading fonts and round buttons.
The blue banners are already in use across Arizona.edu sites, with new heading fonts planned for October to create a more consistent look and feel across the university's websites.
The redesign also addresses users' desire to make information easier to find. The on-site search has been upgraded with SearchStax, a service intended to provide more relevant results.
The main navigation menu now focuses on five key areas: Admissions, Academics, Research and Innovation, Campus Life and About. The simplified menu is intended to give users a clear starting point, especially those who are new or unfamiliar with the U of A.
The clearer structure also helps search engines and AI tools find the university's information, so people can access accurate information more easily.
Arizona.edu's simplified main navigation menu gives visitors a clear starting point.
To identify the five main navigation areas, the team reviewed Arizona.edu's 20 most-visited pages and the most common on-site search terms, including tuition and cost, financial aid, jobs, academic calendars, UAccess, email, housing and academic programs.
The redesigned Admissions section creates clearer paths to information on applying, cost and financial aid, and resources for transfer, international and admitted students.
The reimagined website also emphasizes research and innovation – one of the U of A’s strategic imperatives – and makes it easier for users to engage with the university community by connecting them to research initiatives, news, tours and events.
What’s coming next for site owners?
Cameron Green, assistant director of Campus Web Services, said one of the biggest changes to Arizona.edu isn’t visible to visitors: it’s how the pages are built.
Cameron Green
“The new page-building experience is more powerful, but also very different. It will give site owners access to new features, capabilities, components and elements, so we are working through a plan to put it in their hands without being too disruptive to their day-to-day work," Green said.
Campus Web Services is testing the new page-building tool and feedback from the test group will shape how the tool rolls out across campus.
“It's an exciting time in the web space,” Green said. “Technology is moving faster than it ever has, so we're doing our best to bring new experiences to our site owners and their audiences.”