Design Strategy

1 Narrative

The original Visit Chapel Hill leisure site had become cluttered, difficult to navigate, and no longer reflected the welcoming, accessible experience the destination wanted to offer. My goal was to simplify the site, improve clarity, and build a strong UX foundation that could grow with their content and future digital needs.

Key focus areas:

• Rebuilt the information architecture for clearer navigation

• Reduced cognitive load with streamlined layouts and predictable patterns

• Improved readability and contrast for accessibility

• Created a UX foundation later used to guide two additional microsites
  
  
  

2 Visual Aesthetic

The visual direction needed to feel warm, modern, and easy to read. I refined the aesthetic to support better storytelling and accessibility while staying true to Chapel Hill’s brand identity.

Key focus:

• Updated brand blue to a WCAG-compliant contrast level

• Softened the color palette to reduce sensory overload

• Applied sentence-case headlines and left-aligned text for readability

• Built modular layouts to support future content growth

• Designed mobile-first to improve clarity and usability on smaller screens.
  
  
  

3 User Experience

The UX strategy focused on reducing friction, simplifying tasks, and creating a smoother, more intuitive experience for all users. Every decision was guided by research, usability testing, and accessibility best practices.

Key focus areas:

• Reorganized IA with clear navigation and predictable patterns

• Mapped and refined user flows for events, listings, and trip planning

• Iterated wireframes based on internal usability testing

• Improved hierarchy, spacing, and grouping for easier scanning

• Prioritized accessibility through stronger contrast and simpler structure

• Partnered closely with PMs and developers to ensure feasibility and smooth implementation

Design in Action

Before & After

Wireframes & UX Exploration

High-Fidelity UI

Accessibility Microsite

Sneak Piques Microsite

The Impact

All three sites launched smoothly with minimal revisions, and accessibility scores reached up to 96% (Lighthouse Scores) across the microsites. The unified design system gave Visit Chapel Hill a flexible foundation for the future, and UX recommendations were retained at a rate of 95%+, showing strong alignment with stakeholder.

This project also sparked deeper conversations around accessibility within the organization and led to a published blog post and internal presentation on neurodivergent-friendly web design.

The final experience is warm, accessible, and built to grow. And I’m proud to have led the UX/UI design across all three sites.