Responsibilities: UX/UI design, strategy, user testing, collaboration with 3rd party vendors

Technology: Adobe XD, Optimal Workshop

Link: alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu

Project Summary

1-year contract. UX/UI designer for web redesign and site migration of 250+ page site.

I was the UX designer for the ambitious redesign and site migration of UChicago’s alumni website. The new site includes a new content hub and expanded user portal using a new, custom CRM. I provided UX and web design expertise to the digital communications team and collaborated with other internal teams and with our two vendors.

It was my favorite type of project; big and messy, with a lot of opportunities to work with interesting people to solve interesting problems. Miscommunication between internal departments and the external vendor and multiple institutional stakeholders with conflicting requirements added to the messiness. I worked to build trust and a good rapport with everyone working internally and externally in order to understand and solve the UX problems.

One of my challenges was designing the user experience for the user portal, which was developed by an outside vendor. The default user interfaces were so complicated that even the subject matter experts (SMEs) who’d helped to create them could barely use them. I was able to improve communication with the vendor and to dramatically improve the user experience without altering the functionality.