Modernizing a Decentralized Web Ecosystem to Reflect an Iconic Brand

+50

Pages of new, search-optimized content

75%

Engagement rate on top level landing pages in the first five months after launch

Transforming a complex web ecosystem into a cohesive, scalable, and story-driven digital experience that reflects the institution’s world-class reputation.

View of Carnegie Mellon University campus courtyard with green lawns, trees, and academic buildings on a sunny day.

World-class web presence for a world-class institution.

Carnegie Mellon University is an R1, globally recognized institution, but its complex structure, housed in multiple content management systems, was an untapped opportunity for a more cohesive user experience. And an updated structure could build a foundation to fully reflect CMU’s identity as a modern, innovative institution.  

Carnegie collaborated with CMU to develop a top-of-the-line web presence, creating a dynamic, flexible, and story-forward digital experience. The result is a striking, modern web experience that reflects the institution’s world-class reputation.

Student Types

Undergraduate

Graduate

Solution

Digital Advertising

The Challenge 

Following years of decentralized web development, Carnegie Mellon University’s web presence was complex. Separate colleges, departments, and units maintained their own sites across multiple CMS platforms, resulting in inconsistent user experiences. CMU needed an updated web ecosystem that was cohesive and served users on the front and the back end. All of which had to contribute to a brand presence that matched CMU’s globally recognized identity—visually compelling, structurally sound, and sustainable for internal teams to manage long after launch.

The institution sought a strategic collaborator to help modernize its web ecosystem. They needed an updated CMS and a cohesive information architecture and design system that could comfortably accommodate a sprawling ecosystem.

Our Approach

Carnegie crafted a scalable solution designed for both immediate impact and long-term stewardship. Through deep collaboration, bi-weekly working sessions, and a tailored design and content strategy, our team delivered an enterprise-wide foundation capable of uniting CMU’s diverse digital properties under a cohesive brand expression.

Red graphic with white text, a person presenting at a whiteboard, a building reflection, and a black dog silhouette.

What Worked

  • Information architecture & governance planning to guide decisions about site migration, structure, and long-term management across a decentralized institution.
  • Modular, scalable design system development that functioned seamlessly across both Drupal and Cascade, enabling consistent brand adoption campus-wide.
  • Strategic content creation, including more than 50+ new pages of user-centered, search-optimized copy that strengthened CMU’s storytelling and elevated its innovative identity.
  • SEO and AEO integration to ensure the redesigned site was easily discoverable and optimized for modern search behaviors.
  • Ongoing support, including continued enhancements and new projects—such as a redesigned news site—positioning CMU’s internal teams for long-term success.
Carnegie Mellon University website shown on a mobile phone and desktop, featuring academics and research sections.
Students engaged in research and learning, with the text: "Research That Moves The World Forward.

The Results

Carnegie’s work with Carnegie Mellon delivered a modern, story-forward website and a highly functional design system that unified the institution’s previously decentralized digital ecosystem. Qualitative UX testing showed positive results from visitors on their perceptions of the site and CMU’s reputation. The new homepage became a point of pride for campus leadership, showcasing institutional impact through flexible storytelling components, dynamic news and events integration, and a scalable architecture built for long-term growth. Compared to a site-wide average engagement rate of 56%, the top-level redesigned landing pages that were the focus of the redesign had an average engagement rate of 75% in the first five months after launch, 19% above the site average. Across the site, more than 50+ pages of new, search-optimized content strengthened brand clarity and improved user experience, while modular templates empowered internal teams to maintain and evolve the site with confidence.

+50

Pages of new, search-optimized content

75%

Engagement rate on top level landing pages in the first five months after launch

Services That Drive Success

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