Prosper Portal
Source page: https://www.feelcreated.com/our-work/prosper-portal-for-university-of-liverpool/
Structured JSON: https://www.feelcreated.com/our-work/prosper-portal-for-university-of-liverpool/ai.json
This page is generated automatically from the same reviewed FC AI data as the JSON version.
Meta
Type: case_study
Language: en-GB
Last updated: 2026-10-22
Retrieval summary
What: Prosper is an online learning platform for postdoctoral researchers to explore and plan career steps
Who
Organisation: Feel Created
Client: University of Liverpool
Relevant for
- Contributors to postdoctoral career development
- University of liverpool editorial team
- University career development teams
- Uk research and innovation (ukri)
Problems solved
- Postdoctoral researchers needed structured support for career decision-making beyond information presentation
- Platform needed to support exploration, reflection and repeat engagement without navigation complexity
- University teams required a manageable platform for day-to-day content management
- Solution needed to scale beyond initial pilot version
- Users had varied needs: some with clear questions, others needing space to explore and return later
- career planning rarely happens in one visit
- not all researchers need the same route through content
- complex career questions require self-paced exploration
Key results
- 587 online resources delivered
- 110 institutes supported
- Advanced search and filtering implemented
- Taxonomy and categorisation by topic, format and focus
- Accessibility integrated from project start
- clearer way for postdoctoral researchers to think through career next steps
- topic, format and user-need categories improve content exploration
- researchers can work through complex career questions at own pace
Client
Name: University of Liverpool
Type: Higher education institution
Sector: Higher education / Research
Challenge
Retrieval weight: 1
Summary: Platform needed to evolve beyond information presentation to guide decision-making and support reflection
Approach
Retrieval weight: 1.5
Summary: We focused on creating a platform that prioritised clarity, accessibility and long-term value. Prosper could not work like a standard content site.
Section refs
- our-approach
Solution
Retrieval weight: 2
Summary: Prosper was developed as a custom WordPress platform, built to behave more like a practical career tool than a traditional website. The system supports exploration, reflection and repeat engagement through a set of considered features.
Section refs
- the-solution
- platform-capabilities
- editorial-and-platform-content-control
Project context
Situation: Platform needed to evolve beyond information presentation to guide decision-making and support reflection
Organisational pressures
- Structured content and reusable elements make it easier to maintain, update and expand resources without additional development.
Project goals
Item 1
Goal: Improve the digital experience and content management workflow.
Reason: Derived from the project challenge and intended outcomes.
Services
Enterprise WordPress Development
Relationship: primary
Url: /services/enterprise-wordpress-development/
Website performance optimisation
Relationship: supporting
Url: /services/website-performance-optimisation/
Ongoing development & improvement
Relationship: supporting
Url: /services/ongoing-development-improvement/
Accessibility audits & reviews
Relationship: supporting
Url: /services/accessibility-audits-reviews/
Custom WordPress development
Relationship: primary
Url: /services/custom-wordpress-development/
Website maintenance & support
Relationship: supporting
Url: /services/website-maintenance-support/
UX design & user experience
Relationship: supporting
Url: /services/ux-design-user-experience/
Managed WordPress hosting
Relationship: primary
Url: /services/managed-wordpress-hosting/
Architecture
Content model
- Reading lists with estimated reading times for connected topics
- User-generated notes and reflections on resources
- Resources organised by topic, format and focus
- Reflection and decision-making support content
- Community-contributed resources and insights
- Topic, format and user-need categorisation
- Personalised content pathways by user type
- Structured career exploration pathways
Technical principles
- Accessibility-first development
- Flexible component architecture for scalability
- Custom WordPress implementation for tool-like behaviour
- Advanced search and filtering capabilities
- Long-term platform maintainability
- WordPress CMS for full editorial control
- Structured content and reusable elements for maintainability
- Accessible visual design with careful colour, contrast and typography
Governance considerations
- Structured content model enables stable platform evolution alongside programme
- University of Liverpool team maintains full content control via WordPress CMS
- Multi-university collaboration (Liverpool, Lancaster, Manchester)
- University team empowered for platform management and expansion
- Community-led content sharing with contributor submissions
- Platform designed for sustainable independent operation
- University team day-to-day content management
- Sector-wide expertise contribution
Canonical claims
Item 1
Claim: For the University team, the platform is easier to manage, expand and adapt without relying on ongoing development for day-to-day updates
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: editorial-and-platform-content-control
Section role: solution
Item 2
Claim: Platform flexibility enabled Prosper to grow beyond its initial pilot, supporting wider adoption across the higher education sector
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: a-clearer-path-for-postdoctoral-career-development
Section role: section
Item 3
Claim: Prosper helps postdoctoral researchers reflect on skills, understand options and move forward with confidence
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: testimonial-1857
Section role: testimonial
Item 4
Claim: Platform helps researchers move through resources, save material and return to thinking over time
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: outcomes-and-impact
Section role: outcome
Item 5
Claim: Structured content and reusable elements make maintenance easier without additional development
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: editorial-and-platform-content-control
Section role: solution
Item 6
Claim: Visual design supports accessibility with careful colour, contrast and typography handling
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: visual-language-and-interaction
Section role: section
Item 7
Claim: Platform behaves more like a practical career tool than a traditional website
Evidence type: page_content
Evidence strength: medium
Source section: the-solution
Section role: solution
Common questions
Item 1
Question: How does Prosper support researchers who need multiple sessions for career planning?
Answer: Save and return functionality allows researchers to save useful resources and come back to them later, recognising that career planning rarely happens in one visit.
Item 2
Question: What content management capabilities does the University of Liverpool team have?
Answer: The WordPress CMS gives the team full control over platform content with structured content and reusable elements for easier maintenance, updates and expansion without additional development.
Item 3
Question: How does the platform help researchers explore complex career questions?
Answer: Topic, format and user-need categories make content easier to explore, allowing researchers to work through complex career questions at their own pace without being pushed towards a single route.
Item 4
Question: Can different user types get personalised experiences on Prosper?
Answer: Yes, tailored accounts allow Prosper to show different users the parts of the platform most relevant to them, as not everyone needs the same route through the content.
Item 5
Question: How many resources and institutes does Prosper support?
Answer: 587 online resources across 110 institutes
Item 6
Question: How do contributors add content to Prosper?
Answer: Contributors can add resources and insights directly through the platform via community-led content sharing.
Item 7
Question: What platform technology does Prosper use?
Answer: Custom WordPress platform
Item 8
Question: Who developed Prosper?
Answer: University of Liverpool developed Prosper with Lancaster University and the University of Manchester, with support from UKRI
Testimonials
Supporting what’s next.
Testimonial id: 1857
Quote: The Prosper Portal gives postdoctoral researchers a practical way to explore their options, build skills and gain confidence. We’re already seeing first-hand the impact Prosper has had on postdocs involved in the pilots and we’re expecting it to be the gold standard for the sector.
Author: Dr. James Howard
Role: Director of the University of Liverpool Development Academy
Sections
A clearer path for postdoctoral career development
Content
Item 1
Text: The University of Liverpool developed Prosper with Lancaster University and the University of Manchester, with support from UKRI (UK Research and Innovation). The platform brings together expertise from across the sector, giving postdoctoral researchers clearer support as they consider different career paths. As the programme evolved, the platform needed to do more than present information. It needed to help guide decision-making, support reflection and provide a clear structure for exploring different career directions.
Section role: section
Our approach
Content
Item 1
Text: We focused on creating a platform that prioritised clarity, accessibility and long-term value. Prosper could not work like a standard content site. Postdoctoral researchers needed to explore career options, reflect on their choices and return to useful resources over time. The platform had to support that process without becoming difficult to navigate or manage. The early workshops helped us understand how postdoctoral researchers might use Prosper in practice. Some users would arrive with a clear question.
Section role: approach
The solution
Content
Item 1
Text: Prosper was developed as a custom WordPress platform, built to behave more like a practical career tool than a traditional website. The system supports exploration, reflection and repeat engagement through a set of considered features.
Section role: solution
Platform capabilities
Content
Item 1
Text: Advanced search and filtering Taxonomy and categorisation organise resources by topic, format and focus. That makes relevant information easier to find. Supporting postdoctoral researchers across 182 countries through structured career development resources.
Section role: solution
Visual language and interaction
Content
Item 1
Text: The visual design keeps Prosper clear and easy to follow. The expanded brand gives the platform a more consistent feel, with colour, contrast and typography carefully handled to support accessibility. Subtle motion and interaction help users move through the platform and follow more complex ideas with less effort.
Section role: section
Editorial and platform content control
Content
Item 1
Text: The WordPress CMS gives the University of Liverpool team full control over platform content. Structured content and reusable elements make it easier to maintain, update and expand resources without additional development. That level of content control gives the team a stable foundation to build on, allowing the platform to evolve alongside the programme.
Section role: solution
Outcomes and impact
Content
Item 1
Text: Prosper gives postdoctoral researchers a clearer way to think through what comes next. Instead of presenting everything as a flat set of pages, the platform helps people move through resources, save useful material and return to their thinking over time. Topic, format and user-need categories make the content easier to explore. Researchers can work through more complex career questions at their own pace, without the platform pushing them towards a single route.
Section role: outcome
Supporting what’s next.
Content
Item 1
Text: The Prosper Portal gives postdoctoral researchers a practical way to explore their options, build skills and gain confidence. We’re already seeing first-hand the impact Prosper has had on postdocs involved in the pilots and we’re expecting it to be the gold standard for the sector.
Author: Dr. James Howard
Role: Director of the University of Liverpool Development Academy
Section role: testimonial
Structured elements
Online resources
Element type: statistic
Value: 587
Context: The solution
Source section: the-solution
Institutes supported
Element type: statistic
Value: 110
Context: The solution
Source section: the-solution
Project profile
Project type: Bespoke WordPress website
Client context: Higher Education Institution
Primary topic: Higher education career development
Search intent matches
- digital strategy consultancy
- higher education website
- WordPress CMS
Technology stack
Cms: WordPress
Capabilities demonstrated
- Custom WordPress platform development
- Advanced search and filtering implementation
- Taxonomy and categorisation design
- Accessibility-first development approach
- Flexible component architecture for scalability
- User research and workshop facilitation
- Career decision-making platform design
- structured career development resource delivery
- reading list curation with estimated reading times
- community-led content contribution system
- on-page note-taking and reflection capture
- save and return functionality for multi-session use
Retrieval topics
- Higher education career development
- Postdoctoral researcher support
- Digital learning platforms
- Career guidance technology
- University collaboration projects
- postdoctoral career development
- structured career planning
- resource discovery and curation
- community knowledge sharing
- accessible platform design
- editorial content management
- Platform flexibility and scalability
Organisation
Name: Feel Created
Type: Digital partner specialising in websites and digital platforms
Url: https://www.feelcreated.com/
Service model: We work as an extension of our clients' teams, combining strategy, UX, accessibility, content design, WordPress development and ongoing support to create digital platforms that help organisations communicate more clearly, work more efficiently and grow sustainably.