WordPress Administration:
MIDAS Website
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Client
Michigan Institute
for Data Science
Role
Web Designer
Web Developer
Skills
UX Design
Web Development
WordPress
Content Management
Timeline
May - Oct 2023
Michigan Institute for Data Science Website
Beginning in the summer of 2023, I served as the WordPress administrator, web designer, and developer for the University of Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) webpage. I designed, implemented, tested, and published dozens of new pages, redesigned and upgraded legacy codebases and content, automated time-consuming workflows, and published promotional materials and news communications for an audience of over 7,500 recipients.
UX/UI Design and Development
MIDAS produces and maintains a lot of web content. As the designer and developer for the institute, I prototyped and implemented responsive, accessible, and attractive web content for the Institute.
Highlighted designs include event pages for cutting-edge AI research colloquia, a hub for Michigan Data Science Fellows, and an overview page for the MIDAS Mini-Symposium Series.
To facilitate future updates and management, I designed multiple reusable pages, modules, and navigation templates for MIDAS. These assets are user-friendly, ensuring unified management and consistency across the website.
An example project: "MIDAS Mini-Symposia." In 2023, I contributed to redesigning and unifying the design standards for the Mini-Symposia pages, which are applied to over ten pages annually.
As a backend developer and WordPress administrator, I designed and programmed automated workflows for updates and maintenance to a database of over 500 affiliated faculty member profile pages.
Results
The Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) website saw significant improvements in both user engagement and operational efficiency. The implementation of responsive and accessible web designs enhanced the user experience, leading to a notable increase in page visits and user interaction. The redesigned event pages, hub for the Michigan Data Science Fellows, and the MIDAS Mini-Symposium Series pages received positive feedback for their aesthetics and usability.
Reflection
Managing a website with a large amount of content presents several challenges. One significant issue is the presence of outdated or "junk" content within the system. It's crucial to carefully manage and process this outdated content to ensure that other pages remain unaffected. This requires a strategic approach to content management.
To keep the website current and efficient, it’s essential to continuously learn and integrate new technologies. This ongoing process involves extensive research, learning, application, and rigorous testing by both designers and developers. Careful testing is vital before releasing new content to ensure compatibility with existing content and to prevent disruptions.