Professional website that functions as a digital CV, research portfolio, and contact platform.
Personal / Single Individual
Academia | Education
Gainesville, FL
PhD Curriculum Vitae
Professional Website in Academia
I designed and developed a professional website for Dr. Casey McDonald, a Mass Communication professor specializing in Public Relations. The site functions as a digital CV, research portfolio, and contact platform. It showcases academic work with clarity, visual polish, and responsive design tailored to students, peers, and potential consulting clients.
About The
- Unified Dr. McDonald's academic identity with cohesive branding and visual consistency.
- Built self-managed research and publication modules for seamless content updates.
- Simplified navigation and responsive layouts improved usability across all devices.
Design + UX/UI + CMS
Steve did an incredible job bringing my professional website to life. He took the time to understand my goals and translated them into a design that perfectly represents my academic and professional identity. The site is beautiful, functional, and easy to update — exactly what I needed. His creativity, technical skill, and attention to detail made the entire process seamless. I’ve received wonderful feedback from colleagues and clients alike!
Casey McDonald
PhD
Project
Dr. McDonald needed a professional online platform that could balance academic depth with usability and visual appeal. The challenge was to design a website that organized extensive scholarly information, including: CV entries, publications, case studies, and research data, all while maintaining clarity and intuitive navigation. The solution had to present dense academic content in a readable, mobile-first design that appealed to both academia and corporate audiences seeking PR expertise. Accessibility, content management, and user flow were key priorities to ensure long-term maintainability and high engagement.
Branding & Visual Identity
I collaborated with Dr. McDonald to craft a distinctive academic brand that balanced professionalism with approachability. Together, we developed her logo, font pairings, and color palette, emphasizing trust, clarity, and modernity. The visual standards extended across graphics, section dividers, and typography hierarchy, ensuring brand recognition and cohesion across all pages and materials.
Academic CV & Research Framework
I built a modular Curriculum Vitae system that allowed Dr. McDonald to input academic credentials, publications, and experience in structured categories. The system displays content dynamically in a clean, mobile-friendly format. The research case study module supports appendices, footnotes, and works cited, giving complex projects clarity and academic integrity without overwhelming users.
13
Unique Sub-Modules
I developed 13 independent CV sub-modules to intuitively organize and display content
+33%
Reader Engagement
Analytics showed a 33% increase in reader engagement on research pages
User Experience & Responsive Design
The site was developed from a mobile-first perspective, ensuring smooth performance across phones, tablets, and desktops. Navigation was reduced to core sections for clear user paths, while CTAs guided visitors naturally to key actions. Lightweight layouts and optimized assets improved load times and accessibility scores sitewide.
+27%
Faster Loading
27% faster load time (avg. 1.8s on mobile)
95/100
Accessibility Score
95/100 accessibility score on Google Lighthouse
100%
Mobile Usability
100% mobile usability score on Google Lighthouse
-34%
Bounce Rate
34% lower bounce rate compared to average rates of other academics’ sites
