Site Design and CMS Content Migration
Project Overview
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine needed to modernize their digital presence by migrating over 1,000 pages from an outdated CMS to WordPress. I joined the project as UX/UI consultant to transform a decade-old website into a modern, user-centered platform while preserving critical academic and research content.
The Challenge
When I came on board, Penn Vet’s website hadn’t been meaningfully updated in over a decade. The site suffered from:
- Outdated content and confusing architecture – Many sections were obsolete, and the site’s information hierarchy made it difficult for users to find what they needed
- SEO penalties – Redundant content and poor URL structure were hurting search visibility
- Fragmented research sections – 36 research entities (institutes, centers, programs, and laboratories) existed as scattered sections without distinct identities or clear organization
- Aggressive timeline – The university wanted to launch as early as possible in 2025
A straightforward content migration wouldn’t work. This required strategic restructuring, content consolidation, and careful UI design to bring the site into the present day.
My Approach
1. Building the Foundation: Migration Planning
Before touching a single page, I created a comprehensive migration roadmap using detailed spreadsheets that tracked:
- Every page on the existing site and its migration status (migrated, consolidated, or removed)
- PDF audit to determine which documents should carry forward
- Redirect mapping to prevent broken links and SEO damage
- Section-by-section organization to coordinate with the web editor
This systematic approach ensured nothing fell through the cracks during a complex, multi-month migration.
2. Research Section: Designing for Diversity Within Unity
My primary focus was the research section – the most complex part of the site with 36 research entities (one institute, five centers, five programs, and 28 laboratories) that existed as scattered, inconsistent sections.
The design challenge: How do you transform disconnected sections into cohesive microsites that each have their own visual identity while fitting within the larger Penn Vet brand?
My solution: I reimagined these sections as distinct microsites, giving each research entity its own dedicated presence while maintaining brand consistency.
My process:
- Transformed scattered sections into structured microsites with clear hierarchies and navigation
- Designed key microsites in Figma first, working closely with stakeholders to get approval before building in WordPress
- Created flexible design patterns that allowed each entity to express its unique identity while adhering to Penn Vet brand standards
- Developed templates that could scale across different types of research entities (institutes vs. centers vs. laboratories)
- Established consistent information architectures that users could recognize across microsites
Click image above to view full layout
Below are a few examples of the microsites (one institute, five centers, five programs, and 28 laboratories) I designed and migrated to the new site.
Research Institute Microsite: Institute for Infectious Diseases
A multi-layered site featuring research initiatives, team directories, and specialized resource pages
Research Center:
Penn Vet Working Dog Center
A public-facing site balancing research credibility with accessible storytelling, including programs for volunteers, tours, and education
Research Program Microsite: Wildlife Futures Program
A mission-driven site highlighting conservation research, surveillance work, and educational outreach
Research Laboratory Microsite: van Eps Laboratory
A focused research lab site with clinical service offerings and research publications
3. Content Strategy: Consolidation and Optimization
With over 1,000 pages to migrate, I had to make strategic decisions about what content served users and what created clutter:
- Conducted content audits of faculty profiles, downloadable PDFs, and news articles
- Identified and eliminated redundant content that was hurting SEO
- Consolidated related pages to create clearer user journeys
- Restructured taxonomies to improve navigation and discoverability
- Wrote SEO metadata for all key pages, including microsite homepage
4. Enhancing the CMS Experience
I recommended and implemented plugins that would make ongoing site maintenance easier for Penn Vet’s staff:
- Event management system with robust filtering and calendar features
- Content management tools that simplified updates across microsites
- Training sessions for content editors on WordPress best practices
Outcomes
A Modern Platform Built to Scale
The new Penn Vet website launched in April 2025 with:
- Over 500 pages manually migrated with careful attention to design and content quality
- 500+ dynamically migrated pages reviewed for accuracy and consistency
- 36 research microsites each with distinctive branding within the Penn Vet system
- Comprehensive redirect strategy implemented to preserve SEO equity and prevent broken links
- Improved information architecture that better serves prospective students, current students, faculty, researchers, and the general public
Beyond Launch
The project wasn’t just about getting the site live – it was about setting Penn Vet up for long-term success. By establishing clear design patterns, training content editors, and implementing user-friendly management tools, I helped create a sustainable foundation for the site’s future growth.
Key Learnings
Design systems enable autonomy – By creating flexible but consistent design patterns for the microsites, I empowered individual research groups to maintain their unique identities while staying within brand guidelines.
Migration is strategic, not mechanical – Simply moving content from point A to point B would have perpetuated existing problems. The real value came from rethinking structure, consolidating redundancies, and designing better user experiences.
Stakeholder collaboration is essential – Working closely with faculty, researchers, and administrators helped ensure the new site served real needs rather than just looking modern.