Undergraduate Admissions

Role

Designer, working closely with developers and stakeholders throughout the implementation process.

Background

A complete redesign of U-M’s Undergraduate Admissions site. While there was significant groundwork laid before I joined, my contributions focused on creating a cohesive design system built around the Freight typeface family. This typography choice proved crucial, allowing various sub-units to maintain their distinct identity while clearly belonging to the broader Admissions ecosystem.

Design System & Implementation

The design system, anchored by Freight, provided both flexibility and consistency across the site. Working in close collaboration with the Drupal development team, we:

• Developed modular components that could be adapted for different departments while maintaining visual cohesion
• Refined component designs through iterative feedback cycles with the development team
• Created variations that respected individual unit needs while preserving the core design language

Stakeholder Management

One key to the project’s success was our strategic approach to stakeholder buy-in. We identified and engaged influential stakeholders early in the process, whose support helped facilitate broader acceptance among:

• College deans
• Department directors
• Administrative stakeholders