Rebrand and Redesign the Electrical Computer Engineering department at The Jonsson School of Engineering (UTD).
Web Design
UX Design
Interaction Design
Brand Design
The Jonsson School
Educational Institute Website Redesign
Role & Duration
Jul 2023 - May 2024
UI Designer
Tools & Methods
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Webflow
Team
1 UX Designer, 1 Developer
1 Stakeholder
The Challenge
Overview
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Jonsson School of Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, has been a cornerstone of innovation and education since its founding in 1969. As part of a highly ranked STEM institution, it is recognized among the top three programs in the nation.
However, in recent years, the school’s digital presence and brand identity have not kept pace with its academic reputation. The ECE department has a legacy to uphold—and a brand that deserves to be revitalized for the modern era.
Problem
How can we modernize the brand identity of the ECE department and ensure it stays relevant and aligned with current trends?
Solution
Redesigned the outdated website for the Jonsson School's ECE Department and led a full digital rebrand, including social media and marketing, to reflect its prestige and better engage students, faculty, and prospects.
The Approach
Understanding Our Users
Interviews
Due to time and budget constraints, I was only able to interview 2 faculty and members 1 student to gain insights on the outdated website.
User Interview Highlights
S
Schaefer, 54
Faculty, Professor
“The homepage’s navigation is not intuitive and lacks structure. Students aren’t sure where to look for faculty information or their curriculum info.”
B
Bhatia, 57
Professor, Department Head
“Not only are some information outdated, we need to make sure facilities and labs are better represented and classified.”
C
Chundra, 20
Sophomore, Computer Engineering
“I have trouble finding relevant tools such as degree plans and deadlines. There are issues with irrelevant content in the front page.”
The Insights
Key Interview Findings
Non-Intuitive UX
Users found the homepage visually appealing but navigation confusing and unintuitive.
Oudated Information
Essential information—like degree plans, advisor contacts, and labs—is buried or outdated, forcing students to rely on outside sources.
Poor Information Infrastructure
Research and facilities sections are poorly organized; users suggest grouping labs by topic with linked professors.
Poor Navigation
Users want streamlined, student-focused navigation with clear degree paths, event updates, and working search features.
Alex Chen
The Confused Engineering Student
Age
20
YEAR
Sophomore
MAJOR
Computer Engineering
Location
Dallas, TX
TEch literacy
4/5
Devices
Laptop & Phone
Personality
Busy
Productive
Focused
Bio
Alex is a motivated Computer Engineering student who values efficiency and clarity. They rely on the department website for academic planning, finding advisors, and exploring labs — but often end up using Google or external resources due to outdated or confusing site content. Alex prefers clean, well-structured layouts that help them quickly find the information they need without excessive clicks.
Motivations
Quickly access degree plans, course flowcharts, and advisor contacts.
Understand the difference between programs (Electrical vs. Computer Engineering).
Explore research labs and faculty interests aligned with career goals.
Stay updated on ECE-specific events, deadlines, and opportunities.
Paint Points
Navigation is confusing and unintuitive; essential info buried under generic content.
Broken links and outdated pages make it hard to trust the website.
Faculty information lacks hierarchy—unclear who teaches what or oversees which labs.
Mobile version is cluttered and difficult to use on the go.
Calendar and events sections lack relevance to students’ actual needs.
“Most basic features are hidden behind random buttons.”
User Persona
Students struggle to navigate the website due to poor information hierarchy and outdated content.
They primarily use the site for degree plans, flowcharts, and advisor information, but often rely on Google for accurate details.
Users value clarity, efficiency, and reliability over visual design or marketing content.
The site lacks student-centered organization, making essential tools hard to find.
There’s a strong need for a streamlined, intuitive experience with clear pathways and consistent updates.
Opportunities include simplifying navigation, highlighting academic tools, and improving content consistency across all pages.
Site Infratsructure
User Flow
I created a streamlined site map and user flow to reorganize the original content, removing unnecessary and redundant elements for a more intuitive user experience. This addressed key issues such as clarifying academic pathways and improving access to labs, advisors, and faculty information.
A New Image
Brand Identity Redesign
Working closely with UTD’s head designer, we created colors that’re in compliance to UTD brand guidelines.
Main Colors
#E87500
#154734
Secondary
#154734
#A5A5A5
#69BE28
Color Palette
Roboto Slab
Roboto Slab Thin
Roboto Slab ExtraLight
Roboto Slab Light
Roboto Slab Regular
Roboto Slab
Roboto Slab SemiBold
Roboto Slab Bold
Roboto Slab ExtraBold
Roboto Slab Black
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
Roboto
Roboto Thin
Roboto ExtraLight
Roboto Light
Roboto Regular
Roboto Medium
Roboto SemiBold
Roboto Bold
Roboto ExtraBold
Roboto Black
SECONDARY
LOGO VARIATIONS
Moodboard
Rebranded Graphics
Implementation
Redesign
The redesigned website was created in Figma, focusing on usability, clarity, and a student-centered layout.
Once finalized, the design was implemented by developers using Webflow for a responsive, scalable build.
The final version is live and viewable on the official ECE website.
Before (Home)
Confusing navigation: Key resources are hard to find.
Cluttered content: Nonessential info distracts from academics.
Poor mobile & broken features: Links, menus, and buttons often don’t work on phones.
After (Home)
Clearer navigation: Sections like About, Academics, Research, People, and News are easy to find.
Mobile-friendly design: Optimized for seamless use on phones and tablets.
Updated content: Current news and events, such as the Spring 2025 Design Expo, are highlighted.
Research
Comprehensive research areas: Clearly presents a wide range of graduate and faculty research topics.
Student involvement highlighted: Showcases undergrad and grad participation in real-world projects.
Achievements recognized: Highlights awards and departmental research successes.
Undergraduate Overview
Clear Program Overview: Provides a concise summary of both Electrical and Computer Engineering programs, highlighting key areas of study.
Accreditation Information: Clearly states ABET accreditation for both programs, ensuring credibility and quality.
Emphasis on Hands-On Experience: Highlights access to research labs, state-of-the-art equipment, and a dynamic internship program connecting over 1,200 students annually.
At A Glance
Concise Overview: Presents key departmental statistics and achievements in a clear, digestible format.
Accreditation Highlighted: Emphasizes ABET accreditation for both Electrical and Computer Engineering programs, ensuring credibility.
U.S. News Rankings Displayed: Showcases the department's national rankings, reflecting its academic standing.
The Jonsson School
Department of Electrical Computer Engineering
Final Results
User Analytics
A month after launch, sample analytics suggest that the ECE website attracts steady traffic—primarily to academic and research pages—with mobile users having shorter sessions and key pages seeing higher exit rates.
Engagement Metrics
Overall traffic
12,500
Avg Monthly Visitors
Homepage
60%
Entrance
New Visitors
63%
Bounce Rate
42%
Next Project
angelawang.studio
Design for the community.
Projects
About
Skills
Contact
©
2025
Angela Studios. All rights reserved.
Designed and built with passion