York Montessori School

York Montessori School was losing enrollment to its own website. Outdated design and unclear messaging made it hard for parents to understand the Montessori philosophy, let alone trust the school with their child’s early education.

The question I set myself: how might we present Montessori values in a clear, approachable way that builds parent trust?

Research into how parents choose early education kept pointing the same way. They want emotional reassurance as much as information, an instant read on school quality, and calm, easy navigation. Gerald Zaltman’s work at Harvard puts a number on it: 95% of purchasing decisions happen subconsciously.

I looked at two local Montessori schools, one public and one private. Both had great reputations, but their websites felt outdated and hard to navigate. They did not showcase the schools’ quality or build the trust parents expect. Realizing how much modern parents rely on online research, I saw the gap: even excellent schools were losing their chance to make a strong first impression through design.

The old sitemap had no subpages, so key information was scattered across a few crowded screens. The new one breaks content into well-organised subpages so parents can find what they need and feel confident in what the school offers.

Reorganised the homepage and navigation so key information comes first and the Montessori philosophy is explained plainly. Real testimonials for credibility, community events to show engagement, FAQs and a newsletter to keep parents informed. A softer palette, warmth through imagery and icons, and balanced whitespace so the site feels welcoming rather than busy.

Feedback came mainly from peers and professors. Parents’ lived experience would have added depth to the decisions, and I would have built the responsive layouts in Figma if time had allowed.