Website Rebuild & Redesign

Role: Associate Director of Web Marketing at the University of Southern Maine
Impact: 70% increase in user engagement year over year

Overview

I led the University of Southern Maine’s largest-ever website rebuild, transitioning our platform from Drupal to WordPress. This strategic overhaul improved usability, accessibility, and engagement across the site — especially for prospective students navigating academic offerings.

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Challenge

The previous website was difficult to navigate, especially the Academics portal — the most visited page. Program listings were buried in accordion menus, making it nearly impossible to search or browse effectively. Catalog pages linked from the portal were dense and didn’t answer key questions students had.

Solution

I developed a new strategy and wireframes for the Academics Portal, enabling prospective students to filter and explore nearly 300 majors, minors, programs, and concentrations. Each filter dynamically updated the number of matching programs, creating a more intuitive and personalized experience. Program pages were redesigned to answer top student questions, including cost, format (online/in-person), duration, outcomes, and uniqueness. Including the cost on each program marketing page was a bold move in a public university setting and greatly valued by students.

Role

• Strategy & Leadership: Directed cross-functional teams in Marketing and IT, built consensus across departments and the University of Maine System, and presented strategy to senior leadership.

• UX Design: Designed wireframes for key pages, including the Academics portal and Program Marketing Pages.

• Training & Engagement: Created a video training series and led in-person working sessions with faculty and staff to support adoption.

• Content Strategy: Shifted focus from catalog-style information to student-centered content that drives decision-making.

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