1789: Design System & WordPress Theme, Concept to Launch
A two-year project to replace the platform’s vendor-built theme with a maintainable in-house design system and WordPress theme, from roadmap through launch and the handbook that supports it.
Type
Design System, WordPress theme, Documentation
Tools
WordPress, Trello, Google Workspace
Year
2022-2024
Overview
I managed the two-year NextGen project, which produced 1789, a Gutenberg-based shared theme and component system for Georgetown’s WordPress platform of 500+ sites.
1789 is built as a parent theme and child theme, giving the platform one shared codebase that sites inherit from. I worked within the Web Services team as one of three project managers, partnering with the product manager on direction and with developers, a UX designer, and an accessibility coordinator on the build.
The Problem
1789 was built to replace the vendor-built theme used on flagship sites such as georgetown.edu and the School of Foreign Service sites, which our developers could not reliably update or patch.
1789 carried that design into an in-house theme the team could maintain. Whitehaven Nu, an older in-house Classic theme, was the theme sites were moving from, so the project also needed a clear path from Whitehaven Nu to 1789, along with block-based editing and a shared codebase.
Roadmap and Planning
I wrote the project charter and rollout roadmap in partnership with the product manager, setting the order of work from component audit through launch.
The roadmap gave the team, our stakeholders, and the communications office a shared view of what was being built, when each phase would happen, and how existing sites would move to the new theme.
Component Audit and Prioritization
I steered the audit of existing components and the prioritization that set the order in which components were rebuilt for the new system. Auditing was done using Google Sheet and Docs and prioritization was done in Trello.
The audit connected what editors already relied on with what the new theme needed to include, so the first components built were the ones sites depended on most.
Design and Development Coordination
I worked with the UX designer, three developers, and the accessibility coordinator to move each component from design through build and accessibility review.
I kept requirements, design decisions, and technical constraints in one place, so each component reached review with its purpose, behavior, and accessibility needs already documented.
Testing and Launch
I wrote QA testing steps and contributed to user acceptance testing for each new component, then coordinated the theme’s launch. Testing steps were written so that QA testers could verify a change before release, and issues were tracked in Trello from report through resolution.
Rollout and Adoption
I kept the communications team informed throughout the rollout, and 1789 became the theme used for relaunched and new sites across the platform.
Current and new site owners were informed on the new theme’s launch and encouraged to consider migrating to the theme or using it when creating a new site.
The 1789 Handbook
After launch, I created the 1789 Handbook, a self-service documentation site covering site administration, content editing, design philosophy, the block catalog, how to request the theme, and additional web-related resources.
The handbook is organized around the questions editors may have about the theme. The Site Administration section covers settings, navigation menus, redirects, and analytics. The Content Editor section covers pages, posts, media, and profiles. The Design Philosophy section (written by our UX designer) explains the thinking behind the theme and its page templates. The Block Catalog section documents each component by purpose, from text and media blocks to calls to action. Each block has a How-To Guide page and a Design Example page so editors can learn how to use the blocks and see live versions of them.
Migration and Launch Support
For migrations, I guided site owners from Whitehaven Nu to 1789 through launch consultation and content readiness. For new sites, I explained the differences in in-house themes and encouraged the use of 1789.
Over 3 years (2023* – 2026), I launched 70+ websites, 95% of which, used the 1789 theme.
I also wrote internal team process documentation on how to relaunch and launch the websites.
*Several sites were willing to be beta testers and were used to soft launch the theme.