March 2023 – November 2023

Improving Student Access to Program Information

The Interactive Student Handbooks were program-specific digital guides designed to help students navigate their academic experience at Sheridan College. Rather than searching across disconnected websites, policies, and systems, students could access key program information, planning tools, supports, services, and resources in one centralized location tailored to their program. These handbooks included program planning tools, advising information, supports and services, program-specific requirements, and interactive resources tailored to each academic program.

Interactive Student Handbook on desktop monitor

Role

UX Designer
Front-End Developer

Platforms

Figma
Drupal

Focus Area

Programming
Vue.js

Information Architecture
Microsoft Automate

Wireframing
Scalable Systems

Expanding the Student Experience

Build Interactive Experiences

Designed and developed the original handbook experience as a standalone web platform, creating reusable layouts and interactive components to help students better navigate program information, planning tools, and support resources.

Scale Across Programs

Helped transform a successful single-program concept into a scalable system that could support multiple academic programs, while balancing shared structures with program-specific content and requirements.

Adapt to Platform Constraints

Midway through the project, the handbook shifted from a custom-built website into Sheridan's Drupal environment. I helped redesign and implement experiences within platform limitations while preserving usability and core student needs.

Building the Experience

Phase 1 — Original Handbook Experience

This is a simplified version and does not reflect the Sheridan courses being offered now.

Phase 3 — Adapting to Drupal

Transitioning from custom HTML to Drupal

Excel template mapped to interactive program table

Outcomes

Centralized Student Information

Created a single destination for students to access program information, supports, planning resources, and academic guidance.

Scalable Across Programs

Built a reusable framework that could expand across programs while supporting unique student and faculty needs.

Reduced Maintenance Barriers

Enabled faculty to update interactive program maps through Excel and Power Automate without editing code.

Improved Student Planning Support

Interactive program maps helped students understand prerequisites and course pathways more easily.

Reflections

Adapting to Change

One of the biggest lessons from this project was the importance of adaptability. Midway through development, the handbook shifted from a standalone website into Drupal, changing both the technical possibilities and design approach. Rather than treating the shift as a setback, I learned the importance of reassessing priorities, adapting solutions, and balancing the needs of students, faculty, and institutional requirements as project realities evolved.

Building for Sustainability

As the handbook expanded across programs, I found myself thinking more about scalability — how faculty could manage content, how systems could grow, and how reducing technical barriers could improve long-term adoption.

Looking Ahead

If I approached this project again, I would push for earlier student testing during the transition into Drupal. The platform shift introduced compromises, and validating priorities with students earlier could have helped guide what interactions and information mattered most.