College Website Redesign

Transforming a passive information resource into an active conversion engine while leading a complex institutional redesign — all without disrupting service on the legacy site.

Client
Champlain College

Year
2025

Role
Web Manager, Project Coordinator, Content Strategist

Project Overview

As Web Manager at Champlain College, I managed the comprehensive redesign of the institution’s website—a large-scale, multifaceted project involving 2,500+ pages of content migration, information architecture restructuring, and user experience enhancements.

This complex initiative required me to coordinate multiple stakeholders, including consultants, development teams, content creators, and institutional leadership—all while working 100% remotely with collaborators in various geographical locations. I collaborated closely with both internal development teams and external consultants to ensure all technical and design elements aligned with our strategic goals.

Throughout the process, I maintained the existing website while simultaneously building the new digital experience, ensuring a seamless transition upon launch. The end result was a transformative redesign that significantly improved engagement and conversion metrics, turning the website from a passive information resource into an active conversion engine that directly supports the college’s enrollment goals.

laptop, desktop screen, phone with various Champlain College website screens displayed

The Challenge

The Champlain College website redesign presented several significant challenges:

Large-scale content migration: With over 2,500 pages needing to be evaluated, updated, and transferred to a new system, the content migration alone was a massive undertaking.
Stakeholder management: Coordinating with departments across the institution required navigating competing priorities, different technical abilities, and varied expectations for the new website.
Technical complexity: Implementing the redesign while maintaining the existing site required careful planning and execution to prevent disruption to current users.
Conversion optimization: Beyond just updating the design, the website needed to perform better in terms of user engagement and form conversions to support enrollment goals.
Accessibility compliance: The new website needed to meet WCAG accessibility standards, requiring careful attention to both design and technical implementation.
Remote coordination: Managing this complex project 100% remotely added another layer of complexity to the communication and execution process.

These challenges required a comprehensive approach that balanced technical implementation with strategic planning and stakeholder management.

My Key Responsibilities

Project Management

Served as primary point of contact for all website redesign activities, coordinating with stakeholders across departments and managing complex timelines to ensure on-time delivery.

Remote Collaboration

Effectively coordinated with team members and consultants across different geographical locations, establishing clear communication protocols and workflows to ensure seamless remote collaboration throughout the project.

Dual System Management

Maintained the existing website while simultaneously building the new site, ensuring uninterrupted service during the transition and orchestrating a seamless launch process despite the complexity of working with remote teams across different locations.

Content Strategy

Developed and implemented comprehensive content strategies that aligned with enrollment goals and marketing objectives, working with content creators to ensure consistency and quality.

Development & Consultant Coordination

Collaborated closely with both internal development teams and external consultants, aligning their expertise with project requirements while facilitating productive cross-functional relationships and ensuring all deliverables met institutional standards.

Page Building & Technical Implementation

Personally built key landing pages and templates within the WordPress CMS, creating custom HTML/CSS solutions that extended platform capabilities while ensuring optimal performance and mobile responsiveness.

The Process

Discovery & Strategy

Conducted a comprehensive audit of the existing website and stakeholder needs:

Analyzed current site architecture, content, and performance metrics
Conducted stakeholder interviews across departments to understand needs and expectations
Worked with enrollment management to identify key conversion goals
Benchmarked against competitor institutions and industry best practices
Developed a comprehensive project plan with clear milestones and responsibilities

Information Architecture

Organized the restructuring of the site’s information architecture to improve usability and support strategic goals:

Created content inventory and audit of existing pages
Developed new site map and navigation structure
Defined content types and templates for different sections of the site
Established content governance protocols for future maintenance

Design & Development

Coordinated the design and development process, working closely with both internal teams and external consultants:

Managed design consultants to ensure brand alignment and user experience best practices
Directed development teams in implementing technical requirements
Ensured WCAG accessibility compliance throughout the design and build

Content Migration

Orchestrated the massive content migration effort while ensuring quality and consistency:

Developed content migration plan with clear priorities and deadlines
Coordinated with content owners across departments to update and approve content
Personally built pages and high-visibility sections
Conducted quality assurance checks throughout the migration process

Testing & Optimization

Testing and optimization occurred simultaneously with the build process, primarily executed by the web development team:

Coordinated with the development team as they conducted testing
Reviewed cross-browser and cross-device compatibility test results
Collaborated on implementing data-driven refinements based on test results

Launch & Transition

Managed the critical launch phase, ensuring a smooth transition from the old site to the new:

Collaborated with team members to develop a comprehensive launch plan with contingencies
Coordinated with IT for DNS and server transitions
Oversaw 301 redirects for changed URLs to maintain SEO value
Conducted final pre-launch checks and testing
Monitored post-launch performance and addressed issues immediately

Implementation Highlights

Throughout the redesign process, our team tackled several key implementation challenges that required creative solutions and careful coordination:

Dual System Management

One of the most complex aspects of the project was maintaining the existing website while simultaneously building the new one. This required:

Implementing systems to ensure no content was lost or outdated during the migration
Setting up separate development and staging environments
Creating protocols for handling content updates during the transition period
Training content editors on both content management systems during the overlap
Developing a detailed cutover plan for the final transition

Information Architecture Transformation

Restructuring the site’s information architecture while balancing recruitment goals with internal community needs required a systematic approach:

Creating new taxonomies and organizational structures
Creating a dual-purpose architecture that addressed both prospective students and the internal community
Conducting content audits to identify what to keep, update, or archive for each audience
Maintaining distinct user journeys for different audience segments while ensuring cohesive experience
Developing intuitive navigation systems based on user needs
Created new taxonomies and organizational structures to serve both external and internal users
Mapping old URLs to new locations to maintain SEO value

Stakeholder Coordination

Managing diverse stakeholders with different priorities and technical abilities was a critical success factor:

Establishing clear communication channels and regular update cadences
Creating stakeholder-specific training and guidance materials
Developing content submission and approval workflows
Balancing institutional needs with enrollment-focused priorities
Building consensus around design and functionality decisions

The Results

42.3%

Increase in engaged sessions per user

9.2%

Increase in average engagement time

17.7%

increase in page views per user

31.8%

Increase in active users

89%

Increase in event registration submissions

28.9%

Increase in ADA compliance score

The redesign successfully transformed the website from a passive information resource into an active conversion engine while maintaining consistent traffic patterns and improving accessibility for all users.

Before & After Sample Comparison

screen capture of admissions page at champlain college before redesign

Previous Admissions page

The original design at had several issues:

Outdated design that failed to reflect the innovative brand of the college
Content-heavy design that prioritized information over conversion
Inconsistent user experience across different sections
Limited mobile optimization with desktop-first approach
Confusing navigation structure that made key information difficult to find
Lack of clear pathways for different user types (prospective students, parents, etc.)

screen capture of the admissions page at champlain college

Redesigned Admissions page

The redesign implemented several key improvements:

Modern, vibrant design that accurately reflected the college’s innovative brand
Strategic content organization with clear conversion pathways
Consistent, branded user experience throughout the site
Mobile-first design approach for optimal viewing on all devices
Intuitive navigation with user-centered information architecture
Balanced approach serving both prospective and current students’ needs
Personalized pathways for different audience segments
Integrated conversion elements that support enrollment goals

Key Takeaways

Managing the Champlain College website redesign provided several valuable insights:

Strategic content organization drives results: Restructuring content with a focus on user journeys and conversion pathways directly contributed to improved engagement and form submissions.
Cross-functional collaboration is essential: Success required effective coordination across multiple departments, external partners, and technical teams, with clear communication at every stage.
Technical and strategic balance matters: The most effective solutions balanced technical implementation with strategic goals, ensuring that the site not only functioned well but also supported institutional objectives.
User-centered design pays off: Focusing on user needs and behaviors throughout the design process resulted in a more intuitive, engaging experience that naturally supported conversion goals.
Process and project management are critical: Managing the complexity of a large-scale redesign while maintaining the existing site required robust processes, clear milestones, and effective project management techniques.

This project transformed Champlain College’s digital presence while providing a foundation for ongoing optimization and improvement. By successfully coordinating consultants, development work, content creation, information architecture, and page building—all while maintaining the original website until launch—we created a digital experience that effectively supports the institution’s enrollment and engagement goals.