University of York
A student-first experience that simplifies university life
The University of York is rethinking the student experience for a generation that expects seamless, intuitive digital experiences.
More than just a degree - university is a complete life shift. For students, it means navigating new environments, managing workloads and integrating into a complex institution while balancing academic and social life. Digital tools should make that easier.
MyUOY – the University of York’s student app – was supposed to do exactly that. But students didn’t see enough real value, resulting in below target engagement. The university needed to create a digital experience that actually made life easier.
Working closely with students, staff and leadership, we uncovered the disconnect: the app lacked personal relevance. For a truly valuable digital experience, users needed personalisation, real-time updates and intuitive navigation – but the app wasn’t delivering.
MyUoY has been redesigned as an indispensable tool that empowers students to flourish in learning and life. By removing complexity and focusing on convenience, we created better everyday moments. Features like a live campus map helps students find everything from lecture halls to restaurants. An on-campus digital loyalty card rewards personal engagement. And next in the pipeline: real-time notifications ensuring timetable changes and campus alerts reach students exactly when and where they need them.
Beyond technology, we helped transform processes and build a product-focused culture. Our goal was to set the MyUoY team up for long-term success, embedding agile methodologies and roadmap development from the start and ensuring we created a sustainable model for UoY to continue to manage themselves for the future.
Working as a blended team with UoY’s internal specialists, we took the strategic lead to lay the foundations for ongoing development. Now, they own execution, ensuring MyUoY evolves alongside the next generation of students, while we remain a key partner, providing strategic guidance and covering critical roles and expertise in the team where needed.
MyUoY now runs on a rolling, product-first approach powered by agile sprints and continuous student feedback. Every update is driven by real user data, ensuring every improvement has real impact.
At its core, MyUoY eliminates complexity from student life. It’s more than just schedules or maps - it’s about giving students back their time so they can focus on what really matters. What was once an afterthought is now essential – a user-first experience that puts students in control of their university journey. Students asked for an easier way to manage university life - and now MyUoY gives them exactly that.