A Website Redesign for an Economics Professor
Scope
Website Redesign
WordPress Theme Development
Dates
Design: March 2023
Development: In progress
Tools & Skills
Figma
WordPress, Html + CSS
Background
Research
An economics professor at a top university, approached me to redesign his website. The existing site was outdated and lacked a cohesive visual identity. The client wanted a modern and professional website that would showcase his research, publications and engagement in public debate, as well as make it easy for students and colleagues to contact him.
To begin the project, I conducted an audit of the existing website to identify its strengths and weaknesses. This helped me understand the current user experience and identify areas for improvement. I also conducted a review of industry standards to identify best practices in website design for academics and professionals in economics.
I identified the following key insights:
The existing site was cluttered and overwhelming, making it hard to navigate.
The website needed a clean and modern design that reflected the professor's expertise and reputation.
Design
Before
The previous website was a generic Google site without much character. The navigation was confusing and difficult to use, making it hard for users to find what they were looking for. The colour scheme was unexciting and didn't reflect the professionalism of the professor's work.
After
The new website design features a clean, modern layout with a muted colour scheme emphasising the professor's research and publications. The navigation is clear and easy to use, with intuitive labels and well-organised content. The 'contact' section, which remains in a sticky position on every page, allows users to quickly and easily contact the professor, improving the overall user experience. The final design is professional, modern, and reflective of the professor's expertise and reputation in the field of economics.
Using an overflow for the 'contact' section, which remains in a sticky position on every page, adds a dynamic feel and ensures that the professor's contact information is always readily available to users. This design element also helps to streamline the user experience, enabling students, colleagues, and members of the press to quickly and easily get in touch with the professor, no matter where they are on the site.
Development
With the design and prototype completed, I am currently working on coding the website using HTML and CSS within the WordPress CMS.
As someone new to front-end development, I anticipate a steep learning curve as I work on creating a custom WordPress theme from scratch for this project. However, I am excited about the opportunity to develop my skills and gain valuable experience working with WordPress and creating custom designs.
One challenge that I anticipate during this phase is ensuring the website is responsive and functions properly on different devices and browsers. To overcome this, I plan to conduct extensive testing and make necessary adjustments to ensure the website is user-friendly across all platforms.