- Contractee: ImageX
- Client: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) – Office of Diversity & Outreach (ODO)
- Roles: Solutions Architect; Business Analyst; Information Architect; Digital Strategist; UX Strategist
- Technology: Drupal; Pantheon (hosting); Google Analytics
The UCSF Office of Diversity & Outreach (ODO) is dedicated to advancing the university’s mission of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across all its programs and initiatives. The project aimed to migrate their existing Drupal 7 website, previously hosted on Acquia, to a newly designed Drupal 8 website hosted on Pantheon. The new website needed to address several performance and usability issues, improve content management workflows, enhance the user experience (UX), and provide a more visually engaging and accessible platform for all users. My role involved leading the strategy for information architecture, content management, and UX design to support UCSF’s commitment to diversity and outreach.
Challenges
Website Migration: Migrating a complex Drupal 7 website with extensive content and custom features to Drupal 8 while maintaining data integrity and functionality was a primary challenge.
Content & Information Architecture: The previous site had outdated content structures that made it difficult for users to find information. Reorganizing the content and defining a clear information architecture was critical to improve usability.
User Experience & Visual Design: The existing website’s design and UX were outdated and did not effectively communicate UCSF’s commitment to diversity. A modern, responsive, and visually appealing design was needed to engage a diverse audience.
Mobile Experience: The previous website did not provide a seamless experience on mobile devices. Ensuring the new website was fully responsive and user-friendly on mobile was essential.
Accessibility: The website needed to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards to provide an inclusive experience for all users, including those with disabilities.
Solutions
Information Architecture & Content Strategy: Developed a new information architecture that organized content logically and intuitively, addressing common user questions such as "How does UCSF support diversity?" This involved creating structured content types for news, events, resources, and programs, and implementing a clear taxonomy to categorize content effectively.
Drupal 8 Migration: Managed a seamless migration of the website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8, ensuring that all content, media, and user data were successfully transferred without loss of information. Utilized automated tools and manual processes to ensure data integrity.
User-Centric UX & Design: Designed a modern, visually appealing, and responsive interface that aligned with UCSF’s brand identity. Conducted user research and testing to refine the UX and ensure it met the needs of diverse user groups, including students, faculty, and community members.
Mobile Optimization: Implemented a mobile-first design approach, ensuring that all pages and features of the website provided a consistent and user-friendly experience across devices.
Accessibility Compliance: Conducted an accessibility audit and implemented design and development practices to meet WCAG 2.1 standards. This included using semantic HTML, providing alternative text for images, and ensuring color contrast and keyboard navigation were optimized.
Results
Enhanced User Experience: The redesigned website provided a more engaging and intuitive user experience, making it easier for users to access information and resources related to diversity and outreach initiatives.
Improved Content Management: The new information architecture and content management system enabled UCSF staff to easily update and manage content, reducing the time and effort required to maintain the site.
Mobile-Friendly Design: The fully responsive design resulted in improved mobile usability, with a significant increase in mobile traffic and user engagement.
Accessibility & Inclusivity: The website’s adherence to WCAG 2.1 standards ensured that it was accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, supporting UCSF’s commitment to inclusivity and equity.
Performance Optimization: The new website, hosted on Pantheon, delivered faster load times and improved overall performance, enhancing the user experience for all visitors.