Modernizing the Texas GIS Forum

The Texas GIS Forum website had grown outdated with inconsistent design, fragmented content, and a sprawling site architecture of 41 pages. These issues made it difficult for attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders to find relevant information and impacted overall engagement. My challenge was to redesign the site to deliver a cohesive user experience while aligning with business goals like increasing sponsorships, improving attendance, and enhancing long-term usability.

I conducted an analysis of Google Analytics to uncover underperforming pages and pinpoint user drop-off areas.

I researched similar forum sites to gain market insights and benchmark best practices.

I facilitated workshops to align the redesign with business priorities and user needs, ensuring both were equally prioritized.

I consolidated the sprawling site pages from 41 pages to 18, while creating reusable components for future event flexibility, adding an additional 1-2 pages a year.

I designed a phased launch strategy to coordinate with marketing timelines, ensuring smooth deployment and early user adoption.

I integrated API-powered dynamic content to keep event information up-to-date effortlessly.

Simplified Maintenance. Reduced site size from 41 pages to 18, streamlining content updates and reducing future maintenance.

Boosted Engagement. Achieved a 26% increase in event attendance and a 17% rise in sponsorships.

Revenue Growth. Increased net income by 255% through improved sponsor engagement and attendee conversions.

Improved Visibility. Enhanced SEO and information architecture, ensuring greater findability for users.

Balancing research, project management, design, and development meant I had to wear many hats, often shifting between roles to keep the project moving. This experience taught me the importance of prioritizing what really mattered — understanding user needs, aligning with business goals, and delivering results within a feasible timeframe.

I leaned into an iterative approach, breaking down the workload into manageable phases and focusing on high-impact areas. This prioritization not only ensured the project’s success (and won us an Innovation Award), but also reinforced my ability to navigate complex challenges with limited resources.