Seventy-four percent of Colorado College students dislike the new CC website, according to a survey conducted by The Catalyst.
The Catalyst surveyed 62 students, including 10 freshmen, 28 sophomores, 18 juniors and six seniors, on Monday, March 30, from 1:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in Tutt Library.
The Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) announced its marketing revamp in September 2025 in an email titled “Unveiling CC’s Refreshed Brand (Part 1) — Shaped by You,” as part of a Work of the College Series Event that asked students to “engage with the brand.”
“Colorado College is rolling out the first elements of our refreshed brand and you’re invited to be a part of it. This refresh isn’t just a new look — it’s a clearer, more compelling expression of who we are, grounded in the collective experience of our community,” the email read.
The OCM updated the website on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Johanna Blickenstaff, Vice President of Strategic Communications & Marketing, informed the CC community about the upcoming changes in a Jan. 14 email. Blickenstaff explained that post-launch, users could expect an “updated design system across standard page templates and components.”
The website overhaul updated over 15,000 pages.
Students, however, are not satisfied with the changes CC has made to its branding.
Of the 62 students surveyed, 45 said they did not like the new website. One freshman was unaware that the website was redesigned in January of this year, and almost a third of students admitted that they do not use the website beyond the login page.
“I could’ve made a better one,” said Chris Walker ‘26. Another student compared the new website to Squarespace templates.
“The corporate aesthetic is fucking stupid,” Eli Lukens ‘28 said.
Sixty-five percent of students said that the website is not easy to use or navigate, and 71% said they did not like the new design.
Among the top complaints are the website’s distracting features, lack of improvements to Banner or Summit and overall function. Ten students said finding the CC sign-in page is now difficult.
CC students can access Banner, Canvas, Outlook, CARE Team Report, Handshake, Stellic, Title IX Report and Gold Card Management, among other resources, through the sign-in to CC page. It used to appear at the top of the website, but now students must open the Site Tool drop-down page to access it, unless they have the sign-in page bookmarked.
However, many of the surveyed students’ biggest complaints were that the new website lacks color and character. Thirteen students were displeased with the monochrome color theme, and six students called the website either too basic, simple or modern.
“They took the character out of the website,” said Pilar Pagni ‘27.
Caroline Cullinane ‘27 feels that the new website lacks personality. She thinks the pages are too busy and, without color, the website doesn’t represent CC’s unique culture and personality.
Individually, four students called the new site soulless, and three called it sterile. Four even compared it to the newly renovated Mathias Lobby and the “gentrification” of the college’s aesthetics.
A participating junior even noted that when she “first opened the new website, I thought it wasn’t done.”
According to a statement from the college, the website was long overdue for new edits.
In a statement to The Catalyst on Wednesday, April 1, the Web & Digital Experience Program Director, Mark Lee, said the last website refresh was in 2018. The college overhauls the website every two to five years to “ensure the college’s relevance.”
Lee also noted that the “recent brand visibility initiative” was intended to “enhance our digital presence and experience with refreshed visuals and a streamlined navigational experience, making it easier for everyone, especially prospective students and families, to find what they need.”
CC students have caught on to how the website may appeal to prospective students. One sophomore said that the website is “Only for people who don’t go to CC.”
Students shared that the elements they like about the redesign include the home page’s background drone video, sign-in page photo, featuring recent winners, juniors Willa McLaughlin, Gabby Marchant and Molly Vance, of the Tiger Lookalike contest, outline buttons and new formatting of major pages.
Alexa Gromko, Director of Media Relations, shared in an email that faculty and staff feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.” Gromko encourages students to submit feedback to the OCM through the “Send Feedback” link on the website.