AAUP
Website development and hosting services for the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a national organization advancing academic freedom and shared governance in higher education.
The Challenge
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) selected us with a clear objective: upgrade their aging website and bring their digital presence into a modern, scalable platform. In addition to a technical overhaul, AAUP needed a way to clearly distinguish between their three main digital properties:Â
- The Main Webite (organizational hub and policy resource).Â
- The AAUP Foundation (a blue-accented microsite with its own identity).Â
- Academe Magazine (a stand-alone publication with its own layout and navigation).Â
The Solution
We approached the AAUP project not just as a redesign, but as a digital transformation rooted in strategy and partnership. Over the course of six months, we collaborated through intensive stakeholder engagement, UX research, and design exploration to create a website that is both scholarly and user-friendly.Â
User-Centered Strategy
From the beginning, we invested heavily in understanding AAUP’s ecosystem. Through stakeholder interviews, user journey mapping, and multiple rounds of information architecture revisions, we clarified the goals and needs of key audiences—from faculty members and chapter leaders to press and the public.Â
Wireframes and moodboards helped visualize the new direction, while usability testing with internal stakeholders shaped a more intuitive content hierarchy. Special attention was paid to redesigning navigation, reducing page depth, and giving users visual signposts through elements like a new sidebar menu and consistent landing page layouts.Â
Design System for a Multi-Site Identity
While the sites are technically unified, each sub-brand needed its own visual personality.Â
Every page tier was treated with intentional design. From homepage hero banners to granular article pages, we established flexible but consistent layouts powered by a modular component system.Â
Wireframes and moodboards helped visualize the new direction, while usability testing with internal stakeholders shaped a more intuitive content hierarchy. Special attention was paid to redesigning navigation, reducing page depth, and giving users visual signposts through elements like a new sidebar menu and consistent landing page layouts.Â
Seamless Development & Smart Content Architecture
Built on Drupal 10, the new website structure dramatically improved usability for both front-end users and content editors. We upgraded information fields to eliminate bloat, implemented a fully responsive design system, and integrated with Fonteva to allow Single Sign-On (SSO) for members.Â
Custom-built paragraph types gave AAUP staff the ability to create:Â
- Hero banners with call-to-action overlays.Â
- Dynamic blocks for news, events, and resources.Â
- Contextual sidebars that offer deep sub-navigation across key sections.Â
We also enabled site-wide role-based permissions, so editors could control visibility for members-only content across the platform.Â
Content Migration & Modernization
While AAUP managed much of the content itself, we handled the complex technical migration from Drupal 7 to 10. This included:Â
- A full audit of content types and outdated fields.Â
- Cleanup of legacy content structures.Â
- A gap migration plan to ensure updated content was correctly mapped and styled.Â
- Implementation of a simplified, scalable menu structure.Â
Academe Magazine posed unique challenges, as it required distinct formatting and archival clarity across issues. With custom templates and block systems, we preserved its editorial feel while improving readability and access.Â
Results & Impact
AAUP now has a scalable, future-ready digital platform that reflects their mission and authority in higher education. The redesigned experience makes it easier for users to navigate critical information, access gated member content, and explore AAUP’s work across advocacy, publications, and chapters.Â
The distinction between the main site, foundation, and magazine is now clear, consistent, and cohesive without sacrificing usability or performance. AAUP staff are empowered to manage content with confidence, reducing reliance on technical support and streamlining internal workflows.Â
What was once an outdated, hard-to-navigate website is now a vibrant, user-centered platform ready to support AAUP’s evolving digital needs.Â
How we did it.
The cornerstone of your identity is an authentic brand story. We work with you to establish a clearly defined brand strategy for your goals – a strategy complementary to your brand’s visual voice.
The creative we design is heavily influenced by the framework for innovation. We design media not just to please our clients, but to engage and delight their customers, members, or constituents. We put people first.
We’ll help you select the right technology, and code it right. Our development team is passionate about using the right mix of open source, off-the-shelf, and hosted solutions to solve complex problems.
We understand clients have a choice of website hosting providers. Our service goes beyond stability, up time, and more to a personalized approach that meets you where you are today, and prepares you for your tomorrow
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