I led the IdeaBase team that worked with the Career Technical Education (CTE) department at Kent Roosevelt High School to redesign their website in December 2017. The responsive website is automatically adjusts to fit the size of any mobile or desktop device, and its custom-built content management system (Craft CMS) allows school administrators to easily make updates.
Specifically, I contributed to the project by:
- Leading the UX efforts to audit and develop a new navigation scheme that allowed for a more seamless flow between programs, courses and admissions. This included the creation of sitemaps, wireframes and user flows.
- Working with designers to choose a starter HTML/CSS template, modify the template with new branding, colors and UI elements and integrate the design into a content management system. Specifically, I designed the layout and visual elements within the Admissions section and wrote much of the CSS across the website.
- Developed the architecture for the content management system, working out the content model for the CMS fields and working with the developers to create fields so that they worked together with the design templates.
- Managed weekly and monthly project tasks and deliverables through an agile-inspired workflow, communicating updates to the client and turning feedback into new tasks.
About the Website
The new website features an intuitive navigation system, with dynamic landing pages for each of CTE’s technical programs that display clear program descriptions and requirements, while also allowing faculty to easily post news stories, photos and videos.
Calendars, admissions dates and CTE news are now also featured prominently throughout the site and appear automatically in the right places, saving the website editors substantial time and resources.
During the peak admissions period, students and parents now get a clearer visual outline of the admissions and visit process, allowing them to easily apply or view orientation events from the web.
As part of the website design process, IdeaBase worked to rebrand CTE with a new logo, typeface and color scheme that integrates elements from both the high school and Six District Educational Compact.
Finally, the website features new photography and videos produced on-site at the high school by IdeaBase photographers and videographers, giving visitors a clearer sense of the classroom environment and hands-on approach to learning.