Published work - January 2002-March 2002

Institute for Policy Research

During the winter of 2002, I worked part-time at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Search to redesign and restructure its Web site.

The existing design was about six years old and no longer met IPR's needs or standards. A staffer had attempted a redesign the previous year and had given up in the middle of the project, further complicating any revival efforts on the front and back ends of the site.

See the existing design at the time.

My challenge was to bring the site up to date, meeting with the approval of IPR and the university, which had recently set new requirements on all university site designs.

In conjunction with IPR's publication department, I created a look that was news- and information-driven. The new front page featured IPR's latest publications and events and pushed readers toward substantive background and contact information. Within the site, new section fronts and inside-page designs incorporated the front-page and cookie-crumb navigation, as well as the front page's feel.

On the back-end, I cleaned up the server and converted thousands of old pages -- published over the years in several different designs -- to the new look. I also added style sheets, templates and Dreamweaver site tools to allow simple publishing and updating after my departure.

See the redesign, which remains the site's look today.

If I could go back, I would change the "door" logo at the top of each page to a smoother-looking image. I'd also strive for a brighter left-side navigation bar. But for three-month, part-time project, I was pleased with the results.