Case Study
DeVry.edu Design System
Building clarity, consistency, and accessibility into a complex enterprise platform.
Project Overview
As DeVry’s marketing site evolved, so did the need for a scalable design foundation — one that could streamline collaboration across teams, support accessibility, and work seamlessly within Adobe Experience Manager (AEM).
The solution: a unified design system built for clarity, consistency, and long-term growth.
My Role
As lead UI designer, I played a key role in implementing the new design system — bringing strategy, structure, and polish to a multi-team effort. I:
- Applied Atomic Design principles to build scalable UI components
- Designed templates and page-level layouts using a growing UI pattern library
- Partnered with developers and content authors to ensure fidelity in AEM
- Supported QA and UAT cycles to uphold design integrity through launch
Design Approach
Working within a newly established UX and content architecture, I helped translate structural logic into user-friendly, accessible visual systems.
- Key considerations included:
- Designing with WCAG 2.1 AA compliance in mind from the ground up
- Ensuring SEO-friendly structure and mobile responsiveness
- Building UI patterns for reusability and flexibility across teams
Component Strategy
Each element — from buttons to full-page templates — was crafted with reusability and growth in mind.
- Atomic and molecular components were used to create modular page structures
- Design was driven by content models and guided by system-level strategy
- Patterns were documented to reduce ambiguity and streamline dev handoff
Impact
The design system provided a clear foundation for ongoing work — increasing efficiency, reducing visual inconsistency, and empowering cross-functional teams.
- Streamlined build cycles and faster design-to-dev handoff
- Improved authoring experience in AEM
- Established a baseline for accessible, scalable design
Final UI & Design System
The interface is designed to feel clear, caring, and easy to trust — especially in moments of stress. I created a modular design system with accessibility and scalability in mind.
- Key visual principles:
- Soft color palette for emotional warmth
- Strong visual hierarchy to guide action
- Mobile-first design with focus on clarity
Impact Highlights
To surface user value more clearly, here are key outcomes from testing:
- 80% of testers found the autoship feature “extremely useful”
- Users described the UI as “clean,” “reassuring,” and “intuitive”
- Accessibility tweaks (contrast, spacing) got positive feedback from all testers
Paws+ showcases how thoughtful, user-centered design can reduce stress and simplify care—making life easier for both pets and their humans.
What I Learned
Designing within a complex system pushed me to think beyond screens — about how design empowers teams, not just users. This project sharpened my ability to work cross-functionally, translate strategy into scalable components, and create clarity across a growing digital ecosystem. The impact wasn’t just visual — it was operational.
Final UI Showcase
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