San Diego Emerging Museum Professionals - Redesign & Systems Rebuild

SDEMP connects and supports museum professionals across the San Diego region. Their website had recognizable branding the board wanted to keep, but the backend made routine updates slow and difficult, and visitors weren't finding what they needed.

The challenge wasn't starting over. It was making what existed actually work.

What I did:

Rebuilt the site architecture while preserving existing brand identity

Restructured event management so board members could post updates in minutes without touching code

Streamlined navigation around the three things visitors come for: events, resources, and getting involved

Built a custom board member section for easy, code-free updates

Upgraded accessibility to meet ADA standards

Improved SEO structure and optimized site speed across mobile and desktop

Result: Faster performance, more frequent event postings, and a backend the board actually uses, without losing the brand presence their audience already recognized.

Built on WordPress and Breakdance, optimized for speed with a lean plugin footprint.