My UND App wins creative marketing award
‘App Quest’ campaign both familiarizes students with, gives administrators feedback on UND’s flagship app
UND’s “one-stop” app has received accolades for its creative marketing efforts – as part of a larger campaign to familiarize students with its operability.
The My UND App won the 2025 most creative marketing campaign award from Modo Labs – a platform that is one of the largest providers of campus and workplace apps in the United States. Additionally, the app was runner-up and finalist for the following awards:
- Runner-Up for Best Overall Digital Campus Experience
- Finalist for Best Admissions/ Prospective Student Experience
- Finalist for Best Mobile-First Experience
- Finalist for Best Role-Based Experience
- Finalist for Best Traditional Event
- Finalist for Best Use of Communications
- Finalist for Best Overall Digital Campus Experience
- Finalist for Most Creative Marketing Campaign
The most creative marketing campaign award recognizes University Information Technology’s (UIT) campaign called “App Quest.” Designed as a virtual scavenger hunt to better acquaint students with the My UND App, UIT launched App Quest during the first week of the fall 2025 semester.
“During welcome week, we had a broad list of steps for students to complete – like downloading the app and finding dining services,” said Mandi Tyryfter, operations and communications coordinator for UIT. “We also had some bonus entries, like finding the Eternal Flame and the Hawk statue. “
Students then submitted their completed App Quest to UIT via UND Qualtrics for prizes.
Madhavi Marasinghe, UND’s chief information officer, said the campaign was successful in the sense that it increased student engagement with My UND. She said the app is a vital component of the student experience, calling it a “one-stop shop,” for accessing campus services – among them dining, student health and wellness, athletics and grades.
“I think the whole purpose of this campaign was to increase awareness,” Marasinghe said. “We have had the app for a while, but we wanted to take it up another notch to get the students involved.”
Marasinghe added that student input gathered during the campaign helped improve the app’s functionality.
Tyryfter said that campus departments featured on the app – including dining, wellness and career services – have consulted with UIT to update their content and improve the user experience.
“We asked them if there are things in the app or on campus that they want students to find, that they find important in their area,” Tyryfter said.
My UND and App Quest have also provided experiential learning opportunities, as students have assisted UIT’s applications team in redesigning and relaunching the app.
