PUBLIC Policy School REDESIGN

 The Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University needed expert help with a website redesign when a key staff member abruptly left. Our process together took about 6 months. 

But in the end, not only did they have a great looking and responsive website, they also had a complete website inventory with goals for each section of the website (see below). I spent significant time on the front end listening to stakeholder needs and formalizing them as goals. This led to much easier content decisions and more clarity on content governance.

Role

Content Strategist, Content EDITOR, CONTENT CREATOR

Sample of the detailed content audit spreadsheet for the Sanford School of Public Policy

Sample of the detailed content audit spreadsheet for the Sanford School of Public Policy

Actions ON THIS PROJECT

  • Stakeholder interviews and analysis

  • Content inventory and audit

  • Content development and editing

  • Heuristic UX review of design comps 

  • Management of other content vendors

  • Survey development

This content-heavy site was reorganized and streamlined to better meet target audience needs. A screenshot of a new page I developed for potential MPP students is below. 

Desktop of web browser with the Sanford School of Public Policy website on it
Working with Melissa was one of the best experiences of my career. Melissa listens to you. But she also will tell you why content you think is great for your audience may not be so great after all - and how it could be better. Melissa adds value. Having her on your team ensures your project results will be as good as they possibly can be, and probably much better than you imagined.
— Karen Kemp, Assistant Dean for Communications & Marketing, Sanford School

Results

  • Documented goals and message architectures for each program area

  • Revamped 75+ pages of content to speak directly to the needs of the target audiences

  • Launched successfully on time due to my efficiency and organization

  • Developed a survey to establish baseline metrics for user satisfaction and to find areas for future improvement