Designing better building blocks
Modernising the University’s CMS with AEM out-of-box features – bringing consistency, accessibility, and greater author control to a previously rigid system.
An enterprise web builder lacking versatility, consistency and accessibility
Building as we learned, scoping what mattered
I put components under the microscope to see what stayed, what broke, and what was missing.
I audited every component and template in use, noting their inconsistencies and workarounds. By pairing this with author feedback and AEM documentation, I could see which parts to reuse, which needed redesigning, and which patterns were missing altogether.
I then worked with devs early to pair designs with platform capability
I reviewed AEM’s core components and editable templates, surfacing functionality that had been overlooked. By pairing this with early dev input, I made sure design ideas aligned with what was technically feasible.
Defined 3 distinct and achievable core templates
Rather than trying to fix everything, we focused on three versatile templates: landing page, content page, and news article. These formed the foundation of the system—flexible enough to power most of the site, without overwhelming the build.
Design, build and learn
Starting with AEM’s basic out-of-the-box core components, I collaborated with the AEM tech team and the creative studio to shape a template that was both technically feasible and aligned with our new visual identity.
Instead of launching every new template at once, we released a single content page template with a suite of new components to a small group of authors. This let us validate technical performance, gather feedback, and refine the system before rolling it out more broadly.
After the soft release, we brought early authors into a workshop to share their experiences with the first content page template. Their feedback surfaced what worked, where they struggled, and what patterns they still needed — insights we carried forward into the design of future templates.
Workshop learnings
A navigation system that balances depth, flexibility, and consistency across the entire USYD website.
Project won 2 internal awards for excellence at the University.
