University in West Virginia

Client Background

The University is a regionally accredited public institution established in 1961 and part of the University higher education system.
As the only public community college in the University authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees, the University serves approximately 2,500 students annually across seven counties.

However, by 2017, the University’s digital presence no longer reflected its academic excellence or student-centered mission. The existing WordPress-based website, last redesigned in 2012, had become visually outdated, difficult to navigate, and inaccessible on mobile devices.

Client Need

Objectives

The University sought a comprehensive redesign of its website under RFP #FY18-001, with clear objectives to:

Modernize the website with cross-platform compatibility and mobile responsiveness.
Improve the user experience (UX) for students, staff, and the local community.
Ensure full ADA and Section 508 compliance, aligning with U.S. Department of Education standards.
Integrate dynamic content such as videos, news feeds, and event listings.
Enhance SEO, performance, and content management flexibility.
Maintain WordPress CMS for continuity and ease of internal updates.

The redesign aimed to position the University as a digitally progressive institution, capable of engaging prospective students and community partners online.

Challenges

Before the redesign, the University faced several key challenges:

Disorganized Information Architecture: Content sprawl across hundreds of pages made navigation difficult.
Poor Mobile Performance: The website did not adapt effectively to smartphones or tablets.
Accessibility Gaps: The site lacked ADA compliance, creating barriers for users with disabilities.
Limited CMS Governance: Multiple authors had inconsistent permissions, leading to content duplication.
Outdated Design: The site lacked visual cohesion and failed to represent modern higher education aesthetics.

Our Solution

Infojini executed a strategic redesign and development plan that addressed the University’s goals holistically, combining user-centered design, technical modernization, and accessibility-first principles.

Discovery & Strategy
- Conducted a stakeholder needs assessment with administrators, faculty, and students.
- Reviewed analytics to identify top-visited pages and user behavior trends.
- Defined clear audience segments: prospective students, parents, faculty/staff, and community partners.
- Created a content governance framework outlining roles, permissions, and publishing workflows.
Design & UX Modernization
- Developed three visual prototypes reflecting the University’s colors, brand identity, and regional heritage.
- Designed a mobile-first layout optimized for speed and clarity.
- Introduced a modular template system for departments to customize content while maintaining visual consistency.
- Added interactive features — event calendars, video showcases, and forms with validation and feedback messages.
Accessibility & Compliance
- Ensured ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, using best practices for semantic HTML and ARIA roles.
- Validated accessibility through WAVE and NVDA testing.
- Enhanced usability for all devices and assistive technologies.
WordPress CMS Development
- Rebuilt the site on WordPress CMS, enabling role-based access for editors and administrators.
- Implemented workflows for content approvals and page versioning.
- Added tools to identify orphaned pages and broken links automatically.
SEO, Performance, and Security
- Structured metadata and schema for improved search visibility.
- Optimized image delivery and caching to ensure fast load times even on low bandwidth.
- Integrated SSL/TLS encryption and FERPA-compliant security protocols for student data.
Training & Knowledge Transfer
- Provided hands-on training for the University’s marketing and IT staff.
- Delivered a style guide and technical manual to ensure consistent content updates post-launch.

See Our Solutions in Action

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Realized Benefits

Dynamic Content Architecture: Infojini developed a flexible site structure with reusable components for news, courses, and events, allowing the University to scale without redesigning individual pages.

Accessibility-Driven Design:

Every aspect of the user interface was validated through accessibility testing to ensure equal access — from navigation menus to document downloads.

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