A screenshot of StorageFront.com's new mobile site.
The chance for our students to work with UX designers and industry leaders is a wonderful opportunity ensuring that our students excel beyond the classroom and develop a competitive edge.
Irvine, California (PRWEB) October 15, 2015
StorageFront.com, an online marketplace for self storage, announced today the phase one release of an updated mobile website created through a partnership between storelocal Corporation, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP).
“We reverse-engineered our redesign of StorageFront.com starting at mobile and backing up to a desktop. We also wanted a think tank of mobile-craving millennials to partner with our storage experience to create best-in-class UI/UX for storage customers. Today we released phase one of four releases scheduled for 2015,” said storelocal CEO Lance Watkins.
The mobile website was created as part of the Design Innovation Project, a joint partnership between CSUF and CPP that pairs the universities with industry leaders to create “Mobile Think Tanks” specializing in innovative solutions for visual communication problems.
"The Design Innovation Project is an incredible opportunity for our Graphic Design students within the Art Department here at Cal State Fullerton’s College of the Arts,” said Dale A. Merrill, Dean of the College of the Arts at Cal State Fullerton. “The chance for our students to work with UX designers and industry leaders is a wonderful opportunity ensuring that our students excel beyond the classroom and develop a competitive edge. We are grateful to all our community partners who contribute so much to our students’ education by giving them invaluable hands-on, real-world experience.”
The Design Innovation Project is dedicated to promoting design centric thinking within any project no matter the complexity, size, or scope. CSUF and CPP have also partnered with corporations and universities including UST-Global, iRise, OnePage, LEGO, California Baptist University and University College Nordjylland. These partnerships create an environment where students and industry leaders come together to solve real world problems and create new talent that not only minimizes pipeline gaps, but becomes an agent for change within the communities they serve.
This global vision trains young, highly motivated communication design students to enter the workforce and play a role in the disruption of conventional thinking.
“Early exposure to professional input, critical thinking, and problem solving skills is fundamental to a designer’s development and future success,” said Anthony Acock, Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s Art Department. “With the storelocal project we have all three.”
This partnership helped bring modern design principles to StorageFront.com and provided valuable learning experiences for CSUF and CPP students.
“In this case, creatively resolving the information framework and researching new directions to execute the narrative through UX design is an invaluable experience for our students,” said Melissa Flicker, Associate Professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s Art Department.
Students tackled problems in a variety of disciplines ranging from user experience (UX) and branding strategies to print and e-commerce design.
“Within the field of communication design we are experiencing a period of innovation. Not since the .com bubble have we seen this level of media expansion,” said John T. Drew, Vice-Chair of the Art Department at Cal State Fullerton. “The ability for our students to create a directory optimized for a mobile web experience with storelocal is an incredible opportunity. The level, depth, and overall research involved in this project supports our graphic design students in mastering UX design, and taking up future leadership roles within our community.”
The project began in late December, 2014 and included more than 150 students. One CSUF student was also hired as a graphic designer by storelocal as a result of their involvement in the project.
“There is no substitution for critical thinking with professional input— the exposure is impossible to replicate and a companion piece to a cutting edge educational experience. We appreciate our industry partners who spark our students’ imagination in the classroom and inspire future leaders in the field,” said Cal Poly Pomona Department of Art Chair Sarah A. Meyer.
StorageFront.com’s desktop redesign is scheduled for the first quarter of 2016 and will use the framework laid out by the CSUF and CPP students during the Design Innovation Project.
In addition to the mobile website launch, StorageFront.com also became the first directory in the self storage industry to offer its users the option to fully complete a move-in online. This functionality is not offered by any other directory in the industry and was made possible through a partnership with self storage industry technology leader OpenTech Alliance.
About StorageFront.com: StorageFront.com is one of the oldest and most respected online self storage directories. Founded in 2009, StorageFront.com is a bilingual self storage search engine that helps customers find the self storage unit that is right for them. With a database of more than 40,000 facilities, StorageFront.com is one of the most comprehensive directories in the self storage industry.
About California State University, Fullerton: A comprehensive, regional university with a global outlook, Cal State Fullerton enrolls more than 38,000 students and offers 109 degree programs in eight colleges. Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Cal State Fullerton is among the largest universities in the 23-campus California State University system. It is No. 1 in California and 10th in the nation for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanics and eleventh nationally for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to minority students. Learn more about the university on the CSUF website: http://www.fullerton.edu.
About California State Polytechnic University, Pomona: As one of only two polytechnic universities in the state, Cal Poly Pomona is known for academic excellence, hands-on learning and affordable tuition fees. Education takes place both within and beyond the classroom, and students tackle real-world challenges, giving them an advantage as career-ready graduates. Nestled in 1,438 acres on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, the campus serves more than 20,000 students, faculty and staff who come from diverse backgrounds. The Department of Art offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Uniquely situated in the College of Environmental Design, the department is dedicated to challenging students to have an awareness of environmental, social and ethical issues. Its faculty builds a foundation of creativity to support students' intellectual development while meeting their career goals. Please visit http://www.cpp.edu/ for more information.