A new website for Virginia’s independent school leaders
VAIS, which represents 94 independent schools serving more than 30,000 students, needed more than a visual refresh: a clearer organizational voice, a more intuitive website and a consistent way to communicate its many offerings.
All of the copy and much of the design for the new VAIS website. We led the project day to day so VAIS could focus on final approval, and TORX built the site. Today we help manage it as part of our retainer, along with more consistent email, promotional and event communications.
The redesigned site gives VAIS a more contemporary, organized and accessible introduction to the association, and a stronger foundation for presenting itself consistently across every channel.
The Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) represents a community of 94 independent schools, serving more than 30,000 students and 7,000 faculty, staff, and administrators across the Commonwealth. Its work spans accreditation, professional learning, advocacy, and leadership development.
But an organization with that many audiences, programs, and responsibilities needs more than a website that simply houses information. It needs a digital presence that reflects its mission, communicates its value, and makes it easy for people to find what they need.
The challenge
VAIS had an opportunity to rethink how it presented itself to members, educators, school leaders, prospective families, and the broader independent school community. The project called for more than a visual refresh. It required a clearer organizational voice, a more intuitive website, and a consistent approach to communicating the association’s many offerings.
Our approach
Kelley + Co. worked closely with VAIS to reimagine its digital presence, from the structure of its website to the language used throughout.
We developed a more cohesive visual direction and reorganized content around the people VAIS serves and the services it provides. Accreditation, professional learning, membership, advocacy, and organizational leadership became clearer pathways rather than disconnected collections of information.
We also helped rethink the association’s broader communications, bringing greater consistency to email, promotional materials, event communications, and other member-facing content.
The result
The redesigned VAIS website offers a more contemporary, organized, and accessible introduction to the association. Visitors can explore programming, understand membership benefits, find professional learning opportunities, and discover resources relevant to their roles.
The work also established a stronger foundation for VAIS communications beyond the website, giving the organization a more unified way to present itself across channels.
A website can do more than explain an organization. It can help define how that organization is understood.