Making research, insights and expert commentary from Australia's most prestigious university accessible to everyone.
Pursuit is an online platform run by the University of Melbourne that shares research, insights, and expert commentary on a wide range of topics. The platform connects the public with academic research, making complex subjects more accessible through articles written by researchers, academics, and professionals. It covers topics like health, technology, society, and the environment, and is designed to engage a broad audience, including students, professionals, and the general public.
Together with Web Marketing Director Paul Tagell, we conceived, prototyped, and pitched the concept for what would become Pursuit. Our goal was to create a digital platform that would allow the University to engage more deeply with the public by making its research and insights more accessible. The success of our prototype led to securing a significant development budget and the mandate to build the platform for the entire University of Melbourne, amplifying its reach and impact across various disciplines.
After receiving endorsement from the chancellery, we successfully designed and built Pursuit by launching with a focused minimum feature set. This allowed us to quickly bring the platform to life while ensuring flexibility for future development. Through continuous user testing, we gathered valuable insights that helped us iterate and improve the platform, refining its usability and expanding its features. Each update was driven by real user feedback, ensuring that the platform not only met the needs of the University but also enhanced public engagement with its research and insights over time. This approach allowed Pursuit to evolve into a dynamic and robust digital platform.
Pursuit has been highly successful since its launch in 2015. It attracts a broad international audience, with over 50% of its readers now coming from outside Australia, including countries like the United States, India, and the United Kingdom. Pursuit has also won several awards, including the prestigious Universities Australia Award for Excellence in University Research Reporting in 2022, recognizing its outstanding journalism, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform features contributions from over 1,200 academics and covers a wide range of research topics, making complex issues accessible to the public.
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