Smarter Onboarding, Stronger Outcomes

Helping new students feel informed, supported, and confident from day one - while giving the university a stronger business case through efficiency gains, cost savings, consistency, and reduced compliance risks.

Client & context

The University of Wollongong engaged Redboat Ventures to create a suite of animations as part of their student onboarding process. With large numbers of students entering residential life each year, the university needed a way to reduce pressure and workload on staff, reduce compliance risks and ensure consistent, engaging communication of key information about safety, wellbeing, and community expectations to students.

Challenge/objectives

Onboarding new students is critical to both safety and compliance, but it can be time-consuming for staff and overwhelming for students. The university wanted a solution that would:

Provide clear, consistent information to every student, every time.
Reduce staff workload and the risk of important details being overlooked.
Minimise compliance risks by ensuring students understood their responsibilities.
Enhance the overall student experience with engaging, accessible content.

Redboat’s approach

Redboat partnered with the university to identify priority topics and shape the content strategy. Through close collaboration, we developed scripts, concepts, and designs that aligned with the university’s brand and communication goals. To make the animations feel personable, we incorporated an AI-enhanced avatar of an actual staff-membet, bringing a personal tone to complex or sensitive topics.

The solution

Eight detailed animated videos were produced, covering topics such as:

Welcome and residential agreements
Community rules and expectations
Emergency procedures
Cooking and fire safety
Wellbeing and support services
Security and personal safety

The animations were designed for dual use—accessible online for students to view at their own pace and adaptable for live orientation sessions. This flexibility meant every student could engage with the material in a way that suited them best.

Results & outcomes

The animations provided the university with a consistent, professional onboarding tool that saved staff time and reduced compliance risks. Early feedback from staff and students has been very positive, with both groups noting the clarity and usefulness of the content.

Why it matters

By investing in engaging, accessible onboarding content, the University of Wollongong strengthened its ability to support students from the outset. The animations:

Reduced administrative burden while improving communication quality.
Ensured consistency and accuracy in how critical information was shared.
Reinforced the university’s brand as modern, student-centred, and proactive.
Helped students feel better prepared and more confident in their new environment.