Website Redesign & Custom CMS Development
Project Goals
- Allow site administrator to update content frequently without touching code
- Enable easy-to-use site alerts
- Modernize the design and layout to improve navigation
Part One: Research
Starting with research I interviewed the site administrator, Clerk's Office SMEs and the CTO. I also reviewed site analytics and conducted card sorting exercises. Additionally, I looked at comparable websites like GA Supreme Court and US Supreme Court. From there I was able to refine the IA to create navigational groupings and confirm assumptions with the project stakeholders.
Part Two: Design
Next was the design process. I decided to use the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) as it has been thoroughly tested and uses accessibility best practices. Balancing the requirements of the Clerk's Office, IT department and Judges was important in deciding the layout for the home page and Judges Bios. Design was presented to project stakeholders with some minimal adjustments requested.
Part Three: Development
Development was next. I decided to use WordPress as the CMS as it's well supported, easy to learn and the IT department is familiar with PHP. This site has a surprising amount of content that needed a thoughtful approach when transferring to the new site. At this point I was aware of the areas of the site that were most frequently updated and the areas that were updated automatically. I coded the theme to take the most advantage of WordPress Blocks to afford straight forward content management.
Part Four: Training & Launch
Delivering the completed site to the client also included leading a training class for the IT department and the Clerk's Office staff to get them familiar with WordPress and the customizations of their new website. Once the website launched, I provided tech support and answered questions over the next few weeks.
Post Mortem
During this project I leaned on my network of expert professionals to assist with quality assurance, training materials and data entry. This allowed me to focus on the parts of the project that I do best, designing and building a people-focused experience. I learned more about scoping projects and delegation. Feedback from the IT department, attorneys, the Clerk's Office and judges have been overwhelmingly positive.
In Progress
Court Calendar Refinement Project
Combining the oral arguments calendar with the docket dates calendar to reduce complexity for website visitors and the site administrator. Proposed prototype of the combined calendar created with Figma.
I’m Julie Taylor, a Design Technologist with over 20 years experience designing, building & creative problem solving. I love crafting visually captivating & user-friendly experiences that are straightforward & beneficial to people.