A scalable content management platform designed to support communication, coordination, and engagement across a large academic medical department.
Design Systems · Content Architecture · Institutional UX
Overview
Beyond individual campaigns and visual communications, NeuroNet was conceived as a centralized digital platform for the Department of Neurology—serving faculty, fellows, staff, and trainees with timely information, structured content, and institutional memory.
The project focused on designing and developing a flexible CMS-driven platform that could support diverse content types while remaining easy to maintain by non-technical contributors.
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Institution: Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology
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Platform Type: Internal CMS / Intranet
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Audience: Faculty, clinicians, researchers, fellows, administrative staff
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Role: Principal Web Developer / Graphic Designer
Challenge
How can a single platform support:
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Frequent content updates
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Multiple authors and stakeholders
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Diverse content formats (announcements, grants, events, calendars, resources)
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Institutional branding and clarity
—without becoming fragmented, outdated, or difficult to maintain?
System Design Approach
The CMS was designed as a content ecosystem, not just a website.
Key principles:
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Modularity: Content blocks that can be reused and recombined
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Hierarchy: Clear prioritization of time-sensitive vs. evergreen content
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Editorial clarity: Simple patterns for announcements, features, and archives
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Scalability: Able to grow without redesigning the system
Rather than optimizing for visual novelty, the system prioritized clarity, reliability, and longevity.
CMS Architecture & Features
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Custom WordPress-based CMS structure tailored to departmental needs
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Distinct content types for:
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News & Announcements
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Grants & Funding
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Events & Grand Rounds
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Fellowships & Internal Resources
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Weekly digests (“This Week in Neurology”)
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Calendar-based content visualization to support scheduling and planning
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Visual system designed to maintain consistency across high-volume updates
This structure allowed administrators and staff to publish confidently without design or development bottlenecks.
Design System & Visual Language
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Established a cohesive visual language aligned with institutional branding
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Created repeatable graphic templates for announcements and campaigns
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Balanced warmth and clarity to avoid the sterile feel common in internal systems
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Designed visuals to support scanning and quick comprehension
The result was a system that felt approachable, professional, and human, even under heavy information density.
Impact & Outcomes
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Enabled regular, high-volume publishing without design debt
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Improved visibility of grants, events, and internal opportunities
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Reduced reliance on ad-hoc email communication
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Supported long-term departmental memory through archives and structured content
Reflection
This project reinforced my belief that design plays a critical role in institutional health. When systems are clear, accessible, and thoughtfully structured, they reduce friction, support collaboration, and allow people to focus on their work rather than navigating complexity.
NeuroNet demonstrates how design can quietly shape culture—not through spectacle, but through consistency, care, and trust.