Research & Innovation

Project Details

Role: Designer & Front-End Developer

Problem

Cornell’s Research & Innovation office needed a public-facing site that could translate complex, cross-departmental research initiatives into something clear and credible for funders, faculty, and prospective partners, without diluting the university’s brand standards or its accessibility requirements.

Process

• Started from UX research the client’s internal team had already gathered, rather than duplicating discovery work, and used it to guide layout and content priorities
• Due to the restrictive deadline, the design was done directly in the browser rather than in comps, so decisions about layout and typography could be tested against real content and breakpoints from the start
• Built accessibility in from the start rather than auditing for it afterward for color contrast, semantic markup, and keyboard navigation
• Incorporated stakeholder feedback into a final round of refinement, adjusting page hierarchy and content presentation to better fit the client’s goals, budget, and deadline

Outcome

Shipped an accessible, on-brand WordPress site that now serves as Cornell Research & Innovation’s primary public presence.

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