Gavin.w.keenan@gmail.com

UX Design  ·  2025

Drexel Commencement
Site Redesign

Redesigning the digital home for one of Drexel University's most significant annual events — serving graduates, families, faculty, and guests.

My Role

UX Designer

Organization

Drexel University
Marketing & Communications

Live Site

drexel.edu/commencement

Overview

A university commencement website redesign, built on top of a full CMS migration.

As UX designer, I led the information architecture work — reshaping how graduates, families, faculty, and visiting guests navigate several large commencement activities and events.

These events — ceremonies, receptions, and traditions — each with its own venue, schedule, and ticketing rules. The legacy site mirrored the university's org chart instead of the visitor's journey, burying answers to the simplest questions: Where do I go? Do I need a ticket? Where should I stay?

Drexel commencement homepage — existing site

Three Core Outcomes

  • A new primary navigation and IA mapped to user intent rather than institutional structure.
  • A custom event calendar system built to handle the unique rollout of commencement — overlapping ceremonies, school-by-school variation, and venue, travel, and ticketing details surfaced exactly where users need them.
  • A celebratory, high-energy experience that captures the pride of the occasion, replacing a utilitarian information page with something that actually feels like commencement.

The Result

A site that finally serves its many audiences at once — and a foundation the university can build on for every class to come.

Schedule of ceremonies and tickets sidebar
Ceremony Schedule A custom event calendar built to handle school-by-school variation — overlapping dates, multiple venues, and ticketing rules surfaced clearly for every audience.
Drexel commencement — Getting There, venue and ceremony schedule
Venue and Travel Information Venue and travel information, ceremony schedule, and day-of logistics surfaced through a clean, hierarchical layout — so attendees can find what they need the moment they need it.
University-wide commencement keynote speaker section
Keynote Speaker A dedicated feature giving the university-wide keynote the prominence it deserves — with rich editorial presentation that sets the tone for the entire event.
Drexel commencement — Dragons Are Real video asset
Content Strategy A key content strategy decision was anchoring the site in emotion before logistics. The hero video leads with celebration — putting graduates and families in the right headspace before they navigate schedules and ticketing.
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