Audience personas clarify who we are communicating with and what they need from us.
Use these personas to shape content and digital experiences that support the goals your audiences want to achieve and the questions they need answered.
Primary Goals
- Choose a college that offers strong opportunities for long-term success
- Find majors and academic programs that align with their interests and strengths
- Balance challenging academics with a rewarding student experience
What Information They Need
Use this information to decide what content to create and prioritize for prospective undergraduate students across web, social, email, and print.
What They Want to Know
Students are trying to answer core questions that help them decide whether Georgia Tech is right for them:
- What can I study here, and where will it lead?
- What is the campus environment like?
- How much will it cost, and what financial support is available?
- What research, internship, co-op, and study abroad opportunities exist?
- What outcomes can I expect after graduation?
- How do I apply, and what steps do I take next?
Motivations
- Finding an academically rigorous environment
- Joining an innovative, supportive community
- Building a strong foundation for future careers
- Accessing research, hands-on experience, and global opportunities
- Living and learning in a connected innovation district
- Seeing themselves reflected in the student experience
Top Concerns
- Understanding cost, scholarships, and financial aid without digging through PDFs
- Figuring out whether they will belong and succeed at Georgia Tech
- Navigating complex or outdated information
- Finding key items like majors, requirements, deadlines, and visit options
- Feeling overloaded when content is dense, repetitive, or unclear
Content Planning Guidance
- Focus on plain language and clear value points
- Answer the questions students are actively trying to resolve
- Connect programs to outcomes, careers, and real experiences
- Be transparent about cost, financial aid, and support resources
- Use student stories and outcomes to build trust and relevance
How They Use the Web
Use this information to decide how content should be structured and presented on websites so students can find, understand, and act on information easily.
How They Use Georgia Tech's Websites
Prospective undergraduate students expect a modern, mobile-friendly digital experience. Most begin on mobile devices and expect pages to load quickly and work well on smaller screens. They scan headlines, bullets, and visuals instead of reading long paragraphs, and rely on visual cues to understand where to go next.
Behaviors and Preferences
- They skim rather than read deeply
- Short videos, student-made content, and authentic stories capture their attention
- Peer voices influence their perception of campus life and belonging
- They rely heavily on Google and on-site search to reach information quickly
- They expect content that reflects their interests and helps them compare options
Top 4 Frustrations
- Dense, text-heavy pages that require deep reading
- Vague or unfamiliar terminology without explanation
- Important actions that are hard to find or visually unclear
- Information spread across too many pages
Direct Quotes
I just want to get straight to the point and go where I need to go.
I'm a visual person.
How Content Should be Presented Online
- Structure pages for scanning with strong headings and short sections
- Use layout and visuals to guide attention to key actions
- Reduce reliance on PDFs for essential information
- Make navigation, labels, and calls to action obvious
- Ensure information is easy to find, interpret, and compare
Primary Goals
- Identify graduate programs that align with their research interests or career goals
- Understand requirements, funding options, and expected outcomes
- Complete the application process efficiently and confidently
What Information They Need
Use this information to decide what to communicate to prospective graduate students and how to prioritize content across marketing and recruitment channels.
What They Want to Know
Graduate candidates are trying to answer questions that help them compare programs and make confident decisions:
- Which programs align with my research interests or professional goals?
- What faculty, labs, facilities, and resources support my work?
- What funding, assistantships, or fellowships are available?
- What outcomes can I expect, including industry placement or PhD pathways?
- How flexible or global is the program?
- What is the application timeline, process, and next steps?
Motivations
- Gaining advanced expertise and credentials in a competitive field
- Accessing high-impact research and practical applications
- Preparing for leadership roles in academia, industry, or startups
- Participating in global and multidisciplinary collaboration
- Receiving strong mentorship, funding, and professional development
Top Concerns
- Understanding cost and funding availability
- Determining alignment between their goals and program faculty or resources
- Managing time-to-degree, workload, and work-life balance
- Evaluating program reputation and career outcomes
- Navigating complex requirements, deadlines, and documentation
Content Planning Guidance
- Prioritize clear, precise, and evidence-based information
- Surface funding, requirements, and outcomes early
- Connect programs to research impact and career trajectories
- Be transparent about expectations, timelines, and workload
- Use examples and outcomes to support decision-making
How They Use the Web
Use this information to guide how content should be structured and presented on Georgia Tech websites so graduate applicants can find information quickly and complete tasks efficiently.
How They Use Georgia Tech's Websites
Graduate students often arrive from Google and typically use desktop or laptop devices. They expect a direct, efficient experience. They want to locate information quickly without guessing and become frustrated when navigation is unclear or content is spread across too many pages.
Behaviors and Preferences
- They rely on menus and search rather than browsing
- They skip promotional or flashy content in favor of straightforward information
- They expect familiar navigation patterns and clear labels
- They prefer web-based content over downloading files
Common Frustrations
- Excessive scrolling or buried information
- Vague or unfamiliar terminology in navigation or labels
- Dense, cluttered content that obscures key details
- Design inconsistencies or poor responsiveness
- Essential information locked inside PDFs
Direct Quotes
I’m here. Just give me the information.
Downloading a PDF is never something I want to do.
How Content Should be Presented Online
- Put key information at the top of pages
- Use clear, consistent labels and navigation
- Structure pages for quick scanning and task completion
- Reduce reliance on PDFs for essential information
- Focus on clarity and efficiency over visual complexity
Don’t forget international applicants
A significant portion of Georgia Tech’s graduate audience applies from outside the U.S. These students have additional needs related to eligibility, cost, terminology, housing, and location context. Make sure to review the International Graduate Student persona to ensure your content is inclusive and complete.
Primary Goals
- Identify graduate programs that align with their research interests or career goals
- Understand requirements, funding options, total cost, and expected outcomes
- Complete the application process clearly and confidently from outside the U.S.
What Information They Need
Use this information to decide what additional context, clarification, and details are needed to support prospective international graduate students across marketing and recruitment channels.
What They Want to Know
International graduate students need all core graduate program information, plus additional clarity specific to applying from abroad:
- Program requirements, eligibility criteria, prerequisites, and test expectations
- How faculty expertise, research areas, and program strengths align with their goals
- Funding opportunities available to international students, including assistantships and fellowships
- Total cost of attendance, tuition structure, and explanations of financial terms
- Housing options, transportation, and cost of living in Atlanta
- Career pathways for international graduates, including internships and post-graduation employment context
- Application steps, required documentation, and timelines for international applicants
Motivations
- Earning an advanced degree that strengthens global career mobility
- Accessing world-class faculty, labs, and research opportunities
- Joining a respected institution with a strong international reputation
- Contributing to impactful research and innovation
- Building an international professional network
- Finding a safe, supportive, and welcoming academic environment
Top Concerns
- Earning an advanced degree that strengthens global career mobility
- Accessing world-class faculty, labs, and research opportunities
- Joining a respected institution with a strong international reputation
- Contributing to impactful research and innovation
- Building an international professional network
- Finding a safe, supportive, and welcoming academic environment
Content Planning Guidance
- Present requirements, eligibility, and funding in clear, authoritative language
- Explain academic and financial terms without assuming U.S. system familiarity
- Surface total cost and funding context early
- Provide location, housing, and lifestyle context alongside academic information
- Clearly indicate which information applies to international applicants
- Use examples and explanations that help students evaluate feasibility from abroad
How They Use the Web
Use this information to guide how content should be structured and presented on Georgia Tech websites so international graduate applicants can understand requirements, compare options, and complete tasks confidently from outside the U.S.
How They Use Georgia Tech's Websites
International graduate students rely heavily on mobile devices for research and laptops for applications and forms. They depend on search engines to reach Georgia Tech pages and expect clear headings, structured layouts, and authoritative information that helps them understand requirements without guesswork.
Behaviors and Preferences
- They prioritize clarity and accuracy over visual polish
- They scan for eligibility, cost, faculty, and program-specific details
- They pay close attention to definitions and explanatory content
- They look for content that bridges distance, such as housing details and location context
- They rely on concise text supported by examples, not promotional language
Common Frustrations
- U.S.-specific terminology without explanation
- Tuition and cost information lacking international context
- Key international details buried across multiple pages
- PDFs used for essential information
- Limited context about housing, transportation, or life in Atlanta
Direct Quotes
I need to understand if these options are available to international students.
I want more information on this specialization and who is teaching these courses.
How Content Should be Presented Online
- Use plain, globally understandable language
- Define academic, financial, and admissions terms in context
- Keep critical information web-based and mobile-friendly
- Avoid forcing downloads for essential content
- Structure pages so international-specific details are easy to locate
Primary Goals
- Determine whether Georgia Tech is the right partner for their business or innovation goals
- Understand partnership options, processes, and expectations
- Identify clear value, outcomes, and next steps to engage
Who They Are
Industry partners include leaders, managers, and technical experts from enterprise organizations, mid-market companies, and startups. They are busy decision-makers who value efficiency, credibility, and clarity.
Common roles include:
- Innovation Manager or R&D Lead
- Director or VP of Engineering
- Director of Product or Technology Strategy
- Talent Acquisition Lead
- Corporate Relations or Partnerships Manager
- Founder or CTO (for startup partnerships)
What Information They Need
Use this information to understand the questions industry partners are trying to answer when deciding whether and how to work with Georgia Tech.
What They Want to Know
Industry partners want information that helps them quickly assess whether Georgia Tech aligns with their priorities:
- Which labs, centers, researchers, or facilities are relevant to their goals
- How collaboration with Georgia Tech can accelerate innovation or product development
- What options exist for sponsored research, student projects, internships, or recruiting
- What partnership structures, agreements, and engagement models are available
- What outcomes similar companies have achieved through partnership
- What timelines, resource commitments, and cost expectations look like
Motivations
- Access to world-class researchers, labs, and technical expertise
- Opportunities to co-develop technologies or explore emerging fields
- Reliable pipelines for recruiting top students and graduates
- Engagement through sponsored research, capstone projects, and internships or co-ops
- Strengthening competitive advantage through collaboration
- Enhancing visibility and reputation through association with a leading research institution
Top Concerns
- Unclear value proposition or lack of concrete outcomes
- Uncertainty about partnership processes, timelines, or expectations
- Questions around intellectual property, rights, and responsibilities
- Lack of transparency around cost and resource requirements
- Difficulty identifying where to start or who to contact
- Concern about administrative complexity or long lead times
Content Planning Guidance
- Lead with clear value statements, outcomes, and industry examples
- Explain partnership options and pathways in straightforward, business-focused language
- Use case studies, success stories, and impact metrics to build credibility
- Keep content concise, scannable, and focused on decision-making needs
- Clearly identify key facilities, centers, labs, and talent pathways
- Make it obvious how to initiate a partnership and who to contact
- Avoid academic or internal terminology; write for a business audience
How They Use the Web
Use this information to understand how industry partners approach Georgia Tech’s websites when trying to complete specific tasks or evaluate partnership opportunities.
Note: This information includes early findings from a small number of partner conversations and will continue to be refined as additional research is conducted.
How They Use Georgia Tech’s Websites
In early conversations with industry partners, a common pattern emerged around how they use Georgia Tech’s websites. Partners described coming to the site with a specific purpose, such as evaluating academic programs, identifying recruiting opportunities, or determining whether a partnership makes sense for their business needs. They are not browsing casually; they want to find concrete information quickly and use it to make decisions or take action.
Early feedback suggests that partners often start with search engines and then rely on top-level navigation and page headings to orient themselves. When exploring programs, they look for clear descriptions, degree levels, and practical details that help them assess relevance and potential return on investment. They consistently preferred factual, program-level information over mission statements or promotional language.
For recruiting and engagement tasks, early interviews indicate that partners expect clear paths to career fairs, employer events, and points of contact. When these paths are unclear or require workarounds, such as relying on emails or personal contacts instead of the website, frustration increases.
Behaviors and Preferences
- Arrive with a clear task or question in mind
- Use search and primary navigation rather than browsing content
- Look for program descriptions, degree levels, and concrete details early
- Value basic statistics such as program size, degree type, and outcomes
- Prefer straightforward, business-relevant information over academic framing
- Expect recruiting and partnership opportunities to be easy to locate
Common Frustrations
- Needing to click through multiple pages to understand program offerings
- Program pages that lack clear descriptions or practical details
- Difficulty finding centralized information about recruiting events
- Unclear paths from learning about an opportunity to taking action
- Having to rely on emails or personal contacts instead of the website
Direct Quote
I want to know what the program is, how big it is, and whether it’s undergrad or grad. That’s the kind of information we’re usually looking for.
How Content Should Be Presented Online
- Clearly describe programs, including degree level and practical focus
- Surface key facts and basic statistics early on pages
- Make recruiting events and employer opportunities easy to find
- Provide clear, direct paths from information to action
- Use plain, business-focused language that supports quick evaluation