Designing for legacy systems and a diverse audience
Redbrick design system
COMPANY
University of Liverpool
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
Project Description
To present themselves as an integrated front, universities need to deliver experiences that meet the demands of a varied audience and align with the institution’s overall branding.
Process
This category details the step-by-step approach taken during the project, including research, planning, design, development, testing, and optimization phases.
Evaluate Existing Infrastructure
I partnered with engineers and content designers to audit the university's outdated CMS, identifying critical limitations in functionality and design. This analysis informed the creation of a scalable, on-brand design system that seamlessly integrated with existing systems. Through stakeholder interviews and close collaboration with the engineering team, we addressed technical constraints and aligned the solution with future needs.
Design and Test
I collaborated with the Senior Content Designer to audit top-level content, map key user journeys, and develop a scalable information architecture for over 2,000 pages. I designed data-driven, reusable templates for sections like landing pages and staff profiles, complete with use cases to streamline content creation. A component library ensured consistency, while insights from surveys, interviews, and usability testing guided iterative refinements, prioritising accessibility, usability, and scalability.
Navigation components and variants in the UI library.
Solution
The resulting Redbrick design system provides a unified, scalable framework that enhances the university’s digital presence, streamlining design consistency and usability across all platforms.
Design System Implementation
A scalable and reusable design system featuring templates and a component library to standardise design and functionality across the university’s digital platforms.
Comprehensive Governance
Detailed documentation and governance processes to ensure consistent application of design standards and streamline future updates.
Content Alignment
Rollout timed with a university-wide content audit, enabling departments to align existing and new content with the design system from the outset for a cohesive user experience.
Mobile designs
Notification components an variants.
Results
The implementation of the Redbrick design system has transformed the university’s digital experience, leading to improved consistency, usability, and scalability across platforms.
Improved User Experience
Students, staff, and visitors report a more intuitive and streamlined website experience, with a notable decrease in bounce rates, indicating enhanced navigation and a more intuitive website experience for students, staff, and visitors.
Increased Adoption and Satisfaction
Stakeholder feedback indicates high satisfaction with the design system, with 85% of content editors expressing greater confidence in using the new templates and tools for site updates.