STA Blog

Kate Shih

Kate Shih

The Carranza Chicano Archive Website

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The Carranza Chicano Archive Website

Client: Jonathan Cortez, the Carranzas

Task: Create a website/branding to introduce The Carranza Chicano Archive.

Status: In progress, implementing

Logo Design

Clean, Iconography of the Chicana/o movement inspired

A moodboard

I started the design process by looking at inspiration. The client wanted the design assets to reference iconography from within the Chicano movement, while keeping a dynamic look. The client also wanted the color palette to be made up of deep burnt orange, mustard yellow, navy  blues, and forest greens.

Initial designs

Abstract Banner

Create a repeatable abstract motif/banner graphic for the site. Indigenous iconography (Aztec & Mayan).

Possible Site Mock-Ups

Several options of implementations of the above assets.

Incorporating a Cultural Symbol

The client wanted to include a Hunab-Ku somewhere on the homepage, so I tried several different variations and placements.

We ended up choosing to going with it being in the hero section, with a transparent background.

See the live site!

https://sites.utexas.edu/carranzaarchive

Winter Break 2025

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Winter Break 2025

This break was mainly a chance for me to rest after the craziness that was last semester. That said, during the first week, I worked for LAITS a little bit and also worked on my portfolio :’). For fun, I caught up with old friends from high school, went on a cruise to the Caribbean with my family, and watched a ton of Star Wars!

Life & Letters

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Life & Letters

Client: Life & Letters

Task: Life & Letters (official COLA magazine) wants a WordPress template that they can update periodically with their print publication.

Status: In progress, working on the About page

Visit the live site: https://utw11345.utweb.utexas.edu/

Creating a Main Menu Design

I created a design for the main menu. Previously, the hierarchy of the text felt off and there was too much white space. I created a new design that kept “Sections” and “Collections” the main categories, but also gave more emphasis to the “Research”, “Art & Culture”, and “College Communities” categories, which were really tiny before.

STA Alumni Network

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STA Alumni Network Website

Client: LAITS

Task: Design a website that contains information about the STA Alumni Network.

Status: In progress

Understanding the Situation

Figuring out the core needs and goals.

Comparing what we currently have with what we need:

Before I started, there was a template website already in place with placeholder pages. I began my design process by identifying what pages to keep and what—if anything—we needed to add.

Figuring out information architecture:

After determining this, I then figured out the information architecture and user flow of the website.

Research

Gather insights that will inform the design.

I took a look at other alumni websites for a baseline/inspiration:

From there, I compiled the content that we would need to have:

Design & Prototype

Brainstorm and narrow down the visual + functional components.

I sketched out possible layouts for the different screens:

Then I made some low-fidelity prototypes:

Implement

Transfer the designs over to WordPress.

Live site: https://utw11313.utweb.utexas.edu/

The ChiLDS Lab

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The ChiLDS Lab Site Redesign

Client: Maria Arredondo, The ChiLDS Lab

Task: Complete a site redesign for The ChiLDS Lab. The client wanted to keep most of the content, but wanted a refreshed and “cuter” design overall.

Status: In progress, low fidelity mock-ups created

The Old Site

This was the initial site. The client wanted to move away from the standard university template and make it feel more invited and on theme with her lab. Since her target audience were parents of potential participants, researchers, and students, she wanted the website to be cute and attention grabbing, while still being professional and polished.

Logo Redesign

I started by creating a new logo. I took a lot of inspiration from other child-oriented brands and took note of both their typography and color choices.

A moodboard

Initial designs

Abstract Banner

I also created content dividers as an easy way for the client to add personalization to the website.

Possible Site Mock-Ups

Several options of implementations of the above assets.

Client Feedback

Receiving edits and revising.

The client ended up choosing the “lego block” logo design, with some minor edits. After revising to meet her requests, the logo ended up looking like this:

Low-Fidelity Mock-Ups

Lastly, I used my revised information architecture to mock-up some low fidelity prototypes of what the website could like, before handing it off to the client for implementation.

UT in Context Website Redesign

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UT in Context Website Redesign: Sweatt v. Painter

UT In Context requested a redesign of their existing website (https://utincontext.la.utexas.edu/). By the time the project was handed to me, the site had already been modernized. What the client wanted me to do was to create pages that showcased their physical Sweatt v. Painter gallery in a digital manner.

The site originally looked like this:

I liked the idea of having a separate page for each wall; however, I felt that the navigation buttons laid out in the cardinal directions was a bit clunky. My main goals going forward were to make navigation intuitive and to lay out all the information in a visually appealing and non-overwhelming way.

My next step was to mock up the pages on Figma:

Interact with the mockup here!

I then created a map to help guide visitors to the physical location:

Project status: Waiting for feedback