Pantera

A design system

Problem

Florida International University is one of the largest universities in the country. Organizationally FIU takes a decentralized approach to marketing and communications. This gives academic and research departments more freedom, however, it comes at the cost of brand integrity and fractured messaging. Moreover, it was impossible for my small team to keep up with constant requests for websites built from scratch.

Solution

We started with our CMS, Cascade Hannon Hill. We developed a modular system, a library of components that can be used interchangeably on any page of the site. The branded header and footer wrap around a fully customizable body which allows web admins to create a multitude of different page designs. It also made rapid prototyping a breeze. We no longer had to create mockups for clients since we could just set up a website to present to a client or test in a day. It also empowered web admins to get more creative with their page designs, no matter their skill level. But we need a way to teach folks about the design system.

Process

Once we’d developed the backend, we made the design system public with Pantera. This website outlines all the components as well as editorial guidelines. We are constantly adding to this website: more resources for CMS training, recommended usage for components, accessibility best practices and more. We maintain a release schedule to keep updating the system. On each release, we share the news with a community of 20+ web professionals via internal channels. We also host events and workshops to teach, take feedback on the system through surveys and maintain an open dialogue.

Results