Advancing Digital Experiences in Higher Education

Translating institutional brand strategy into scalable digital execution

The University undertook its first comprehensive digital rebrand in decades, transitioning from an inconsistently applied legacy identity to a unified, enforceable digital system. I led the execution strategy and UX translation, converting updated brand standards into scalable template-level changes across Rochester Core and centrally managed properties. This included typography, hierarchy, navigation, metadata, and global asset updates designed to propagate automatically across the ecosystem. We built an activation playbook from scratch and executed a synchronized rollout that pushed changes across hundreds of websites simultaneously, establishing a new institutional standard overnight while minimizing disruption and reputational risk.

Operating within a decentralized environment with multiple template systems, the work required structured change management and ongoing governance. I developed the communication framework for distributed web owners, embedded audit mechanisms into our operational model, and aligned brand activation with broader governance initiatives. The result is 63% brand adoption across the organization to date, with a recurring monthly audit process driving continued progress. Beyond visual refresh, this initiative established the University’s first scalable digital brand enforcement model — transforming brand strategy from guidance into institutional infrastructure.

Reducing digital sprawl and building a governance engine for sustainable scale

Footprint Focus is an institution-wide digital governance initiative designed to reduce sprawl, improve quality, and prepare the University for long-term modernization. I designed and led the program to move the organization from content accumulation to intentional digital stewardship. We cataloged 765 websites, inventoried more than 241,000 pages and 27,000 documents, and established standardized governance fields to track ownership, purpose, and lifecycle status. The program also expanded Siteimprove coverage by 40,000+ pages, embedding quality assurance, accessibility, and SEO accountability directly into our operational model. To date, 180 websites and 175,000 pieces of content have been retired, reducing institutional risk and surface area while improving overall coherence.

Because the University operates in a decentralized environment, Footprint Focus required more than auditing — it required behavior change. I built the dashboards, reporting cadence, and communication framework that positioned reduction as strategic readiness rather than loss. Governance fields were integrated into workflows, batch retirements were systematized, and monthly tracking was embedded into leadership reporting. The result is a measurable contraction of digital footprint, improved compliance visibility, and a scalable governance engine capable of sustaining modernization efforts across a complex institutional ecosystem.

Evolving a design system to drive consistency, governance, and scale

Rochester Core is the University’s centralized WordPress theme, used across a majority of institutional web properties. Rather than treating it as a static product, I led its evolution into a scalable infrastructure layer that embeds brand standards, UX improvements, and governance controls directly into templates. This included component audits and refinements, navigation restructuring aligned with brand architecture, search modal and results redesign, 404 experience overhaul, taxonomy template standardization for Level 2 units, and author template systemization. Updates were deployed at the system level, allowing improvements to propagate automatically across hundreds of pages.

By strengthening Rochester Core as a design system rather than a collection of templates, we reduced inconsistency, minimized manual enforcement, and created a durable foundation capable of supporting future modernization efforts. The system now serves as the primary delivery vehicle for institutional brand execution and UX standards, enabling scalable consistency across a decentralized digital ecosystem while lowering operational friction for site owners.

Using user behavior data to improve search, navigation, and recovery pathways

Friction to Flow is an ongoing UX modernization initiative focused on reducing high-friction user moments across the University’s digital ecosystem. Using search behavior analysis and recurring usage patterns as primary inputs, I identified systemic friction points — particularly within search, utility links, and recovery experiences. The initiative led to a redesigned search modal, improved search results interface, and a restructured 404 experience designed to guide users back into meaningful pathways rather than dead ends. These updates were implemented at the system level within Rochester Core, allowing improvements to scale across distributed web properties.

By focusing on behavior-driven refinement rather than isolated page redesigns, Friction to Flow shifted UX from reactive fixes to structural improvement. The result is a more predictable, navigable digital experience across institutional properties, reduced user confusion in high-traffic pathways, and a repeatable model for identifying and addressing friction across decentralized systems. The initiative continues to serve as a product-led layer of optimization within the broader governance and infrastructure strategy.