Web Design

My web design experience spans several content management systems, including WordPress, Craft and NPR’s Grove. In my website work, I put extra emphasis on accessibility, ensuring that sites have a structure that is easy to follow and adhere to ADA guidelines.

As a marketing and development intern at Heidi Duckler Dance in 2023, I took on the project of redesigning the organization’s website to keep in mind audiences unaware of Heidi Duckler — or the concept of site-specific dance as a whole.

Below you can see some selected pages from my redesign and explanations of my strategy.

Home and Menu

The Heidi Duckler team produces a wide variety of educational programs and event series, which can be confusing for first-time site visitors. My first order of business when embarking on the site redesign was to organize the page tree in a way that would make sense to those individuals.

For example, the “Truth or Consequences” salon series was previously listed under the “Education” tab. Though the events are educational, they are paid experiences that are markedly different from some of the community initiatives the nonprofit does, like working with underserved kids in the Los Angeles area. By moving this page to “Events,” I was able to give visitors a better idea of what the salon series actually is.

I also moved the menu to the top of the page instead of a side bar, bringing the navigation of the site immediately to visitors’ attention to increase retention.

Finally, I designed the home page GIF, adding a quote from a reviewer that both points to the company’s success and offers more explanation of its mission. The previous page did not offer this context at the forefront.

Check out the page at https://heididuckler.org/.

A website screenshot for Heidi Duckler Dance featuring a dancer in motion against a backdrop of city buildings, with a quote about the choreographer's impact on site-specific dance theater.

People Page

Previously, Heidi Duckler Dance listed its staff and board members on the “About Us” page towards the bottom. Putting this information on a separate page nested under the “Company” section streamlines the process for any site visitor looking for more information about the team.

View the page at https://heididuckler.org/people/.

Grid of black and white headshots of individuals associated with Heidi Duckler Dance. Includes portraits of board members, teaching artists, performers, and artistic collaborators.

Company Value Tiles

Before my redesign, the Heidi Duckler website highlighted three values: democratic dance, arts education and spatial justice. Though those familiar with the company understood its commitment to these points, the language struck me as jargony for someone who might be just getting to know the company.

To remedy this, I worked with company leaders to come up with easier-to-understand alternatives that still expressed the same sentiments: freedom, community and inclusivity. I then wrote condensed descriptions for them that succintly explain how the company stays true to its mission.

View the tiles at https://heididuckler.org/about-us/.

A collage featuring three images related to Heidi Duckler Dance, with text overlays emphasizing the themes of 'Freedom,' 'Community,' and 'Inclusivity.' The first image shows dancers performing, the second depicts a group interacting, and the third features individuals seated together.