Sitemapping & Content Review
Audit the client’s existing site & create a new sitemap based on the recommended taxonomy.
Propose a sitemap built on FigJam to the client and get feedback/approval.
Intersect LA migrated 32,000+ pages of Web 1.0 content in Academic Affairs to Web 2.0.
I led the migration of 9 sites, set sitemap standards, and contributed to design and content decisions, resulting in a 12-week migration plan, increase in efficiency, and improved faculty and student satisfaction.
California State University, Northridge is updating its outdated Web 1.0 infrastructure last refreshed in 2012, migrating over 50,000 pages to Web 2.0.
Intersect LA, a student agency, was contracted to migrate Academic Affairs' 32,000+ pages of content.
Our team collaborates with nine colleges and their departments on campus, guiding them in revisiting their information architecture and content relevance.
Upon joining the migration team, I encountered loose structures, improvised processes, and inconsistent use of the existing design system. CSUN IT integrates modules into the new CMS, Drupal, requiring our team to adapt.
Teams were assigned to various sites, collaborating with department/college chairs and faculty. However, there were some issues:
A lack in consistency among teams in different colleges caused confusion.
Application of the existing design system varied, resulting in different component usage across sites.
Acknowledging these issues, our team collaborated to test process and system effectiveness.
Our goal was to establish a robust framework for a streamlined process and consistency among Web2 designers. This also aided in onboarding new team members, ensuring consistent guidance from seasoned designers.
Our team outlined the project lifecycle for site migration, boosting efficiency and overall design quality. This allowed for project scalability. Initially, designers handled 2-3 sites, now managing 4+ sites as the structure evolved.
Audit the client’s existing site & create a new sitemap based on the recommended taxonomy.
Propose a sitemap built on FigJam to the client and get feedback/approval.
Wireframe all pages based on final sitemap.
Meet with the client for feedback/approval.
Build all pages on CMS (Drupal) while adding photos.
Meet with the client & send Markup.io link (website commenting service) for feedback.
Inspect all pages and content for errors or missing content.
WAVE Tool the site to inspect for accessibility errors.
Write metadata for parent pages.
Provide client support for 1 month.
Direct clients to training tools.
Initially, the sitemap and content review involved two steps: mapping the existing site on Gloomaps and documenting links for the new site on Google Sheets.
Managing two documents was tedious, especially since our wireframing file was on Figma. Consequently, we transitioned to FigJam for site mapping, but a structured approach is still lacking.
Then I decided to create a template that:
Combined the sitemap and the link documentation into one concise file
Included a legend that can quickly determine the type of page or content on the sitemap
Allowed for consistency for our site map files between team members
The file serves as the standard template for our team, streamlining and enhancing the sitemap and content review phase of the project for faster and more enjoyable execution.
CSUN IT is constructing the faculty module on Drupal.
Consequently, our team improvised faculty modules for departments to launch their sites promptly. I advocated for using tables due to their versatility and efficiency:
Formatting a table in a simple paragraph is quicker than adding numerous modules.
Changes are easier to implement in a single table compared to multiple sections.
In summary, the project and its enhanced migration structure led to several achievements:
Our team and recruits follow a robust 12-week migration process.
A student and faculty-centric information architecture crafted through collaboration with department and college chairs.
Satisfied clients grateful for the structured, effortful, and quality-assured updated sites.
