Emeryville, CA 12.04 - 05.05 - Key Curriculum Press began in 1971 as a publisher of workbooks with an alternative approach to teaching math to students in grades 6-12. Since that time, Key has grown to include not just math workbooks, but also textbooks, software and manipulatives for K-12. Additionally, Key introduced Key College Publishing in 1999 to offer innovative mathematics and statistics texts and courseware for the college market. In 2004, Key entered the high school science market with a comprehensive chemistry curriculum.

Key's goal is to give teachers and students the very best tools for teaching mathematics and science. Key is committed to ongoing research and development ensures that schools are equipped with materials that reflect the latest in educational thought and design. Additionally, Key’s program of professional development guarantees a solid foundation on which teachers and school administrators can build successful programs.

The website redesign project was driven by the hope to generate new business, provide customer maintenance, maintain accurate lists to engage teaching community regularly to nurture, and get teachers involved in the Key community to grow to become authors and reviewers. The original website did not support those goals and was product-centric, rather than customer-centric. The original resource centers were marketing pieces.

Busse Design began with a web survey to gain some insight on the perception of both the old Key brand and the Key website. The web research was supplemented with phone interviews. The test subjects of both the phone and web interviews consisted of teachers, administrators, friendlies/familiars, and potential clients. When the data was compiled and analyzed the Busse team was able to pinpoint where the opportunities were and design both functionally and visually around them. In addition to the website development Busse Design developed Key’s logo and collateral to create a cohesive and unified look and feel that extends beyond the site, but into all areas of the company.

About Key Curriculum Press
In 1971, brothers Peter and Steven Rasmussen drew from their teaching experience to create workbooks that would help students who were struggling in mathematics learn the basics and build a foundation for success. With those first Key to…® workbooks, they launched Key Curriculum Press. Like its founders, Key staff includes many former classroom teachers. They understand the challenges teachers face and are passionate about their work. In 1996, Key Curriculum Press became affiliated with Springer, one of the world's largest and most prestigious scientific publishers, strengthening the breadth and depth of our publishing resources. KCP Technologies, created by Key in 1998, conducts educational technology research and is the developer of The Geometer's Sketchpad® and Fathom Dynamic Data™ software. With Springer, Key founded Key College Publishing in 1999, to provide innovative undergraduate higher education texts and courseware in mathematics, statistics, and mathematics and statistics education. For more information, please visit http://www.keypress.com.

About Busse Design USA
Busse Design USA Inc., founded in 1997, and Busse Design Ulm GmbH, founded in 1959, together form a full-service design agency. Busse Design USA provides a wide range of services for their clients —including user interface design, product design and development, branding and packaging design, and a wide range of usability testing services. Working from a human factors perspective, Busse Design USA combines compelling design with strong process methodologies that result in superior user experiences for both its clients and their customers and partners. Headquartered in a restored 1913 building in Emeryville, CA — home to one of the largest populations of artists studios in the San Francisco Bay Area — Busse Design USA employs accomplished designers, Human Computer Interaction specialists, information architects, as well as brand and marketing experts. More information about Busse Design USA can be found at http://www.bussedesign.com.