Overview & Motivation

A client approached us with a single, long-scrolling webpage that had grown organically over time. Navigation was limited and often broken, making it difficult for visitors to find important information about the organization’s work, team, and updates.

The initial scope outlined a compact website with six key sections: Home, Research, Publications, Team, News, and Contact. However, as planning progressed, it became clear that the organization needed a more comprehensive digital platform to reflect its expanding activities. The final site grew to over 50 pages, including a new Outreach section, offering a structured, scalable foundation for ongoing content growth.

The project was built entirely within a managed CampusPress WordPress environment, which imposed limitations on plugins and custom code. This required creative problem-solving to deliver advanced functionality while staying within the framework’s constraints.

In parallel with the website, the project included a new visual identity: a logo and a set of branded materials, establishing a cohesive look across both digital and physical channels.

Project Goals

  • Develop a clean, modular, and scalable website design that could grow over time.
  • Replace the long-scroll single page with a clear, intuitive navigation system.
  • Showcase the organization’s work, people, and updates through structured content types.
  • Ensure that non-technical staff could easily update and maintain the site.
  • Balance technical limitations of a managed WordPress framework with custom design needs.
  • Extend the new visual identity into merchandise and collateral for consistent branding.

Process and Phases

Discovery & Planning

  • Conducted a comprehensive content audit, revealing a significant volume of projects, news & events, publications, and team details that required individual pages.
  • Expanded the site map from 6 planned pages to approximately 50, including dedicated pages for news & events, publications, all categorized and searchable.
  • Introduced a new Outreach section to support community engagement initiatives.
  • Created wireframes to balance WordPress theme limitations with a modern, flexible design.

Design & Branding

  • Defined a professional and approachable visual style aligned with the organization’s goals.
  • Designed a new logo, which became the cornerstone of the visual system.
  • Developed companion merchandise concepts to reinforce the brand across apparel and print materials.

Content Migration & Expansion

  • Migrated legacy content from the old single page into structured, easily navigable sections.
  • Converted publications and news items into custom WordPress post types.
  • Implemented search and filtering options by topic, type, author, and date.
  • Built an individual bio page template for team members and alumni with photos, expertise, and contact details.

Development within WordPress

  • Used approved and lightweight plugins for SEO, accessibility, and navigation.
  • Built reusable templates for content consistency and easier maintenance.
  • Introduced functional menus, breadcrumbs, search, and category filters to improve navigation.

Testing & Launch

  • Conducted accessibility and performance testing to ensure compliance and usability.
  • Verified mobile responsiveness and browser compatibility.
  • Launched on a managed WordPress hosting platform with institutional support.
  • Trained the client’s team to manage updates through the WordPress dashboard.
  • Delivered an editorial style guide for long-term content management.

Challenges & Solutions

  • Scope expansion: The project grew from 6 pages to over 50. Modular templates were designed early to accommodate scaling without rework.
  • Framework constraints: Limited plugin and code flexibility required creative solutions using built-in features and approved add-ons.
  • Content sprawl: The previous endless-scroll format was restructured into clearly defined sections and navigation pathways.
  • Navigation issues: Redesigned menus, filters, and search tools provided intuitive access to information.

Brand cohesion: Extending the logo and visual language across web and merchandise established a unified identity.

Website map before and after the redesign with the outcomes listed below.

Outcomes

  • A scalable, professional website exceeding 50 pages with clear information architecture.
  • A distinctive visual identity applied consistently across web and print.
  • Search and filter features that make exploring content by topic, author, or year simple and intuitive.
  • Significantly improved content organization and discoverability.
  • A sustainable, easy-to-maintain site structure that can grow with the organization.

Lessons Learned

  • We planned for growth early, as we expected the content needs to expand beyond initial expectations.
  • In managed WordPress environments, leverage approved tools and flexible theme options rather than relying on custom code.
  • Strong information architecture and navigation design are critical when transitioning from a single-page format.
  • Category filters and content tagging dramatically improve usability for research- or content-heavy sites.
  • A cohesive visual identity helps unify digital and physical branding.
  • Providing training and documentation ensures non-technical staff can manage ongoing updates confidently.

In Summary

What started as a single, endless webpage evolved into a 50+ page, scalable WordPress website with structured navigation, search filters, and a refreshed brand identity. The project balanced design aspirations with platform limitations to deliver a flexible, professional, and maintainable web presence that can grow alongside the organization’s future needs.

At Glatco, we’re passionate about helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data—efficiently and intelligently. Providing an easy-to-navigate online presence enables sharing information and data very efficiently to connect with the rest of the world. Reach out to us to start a conversation about how we can help you create an online presence that matches your goals to share your next breakthrough.Get in touch with our team.