Challenges and Solutions

One of the biggest challenges was change resistance. Many team members had adapted to workarounds in the old system and were hesitant to switch. To address this, we introduced training sessions and a phased rollout, allowing teams to gradually transition to the new CMS while providing ongoing support. Another challenge was integrating the CMS with existing tools without disrupting workflows. By prioritizing compatibility and developing API-based solutions, we ensured a seamless transition without requiring teams to overhaul their processes.

Results and Impact

The redesigned CMS delivered tangible improvements:

  • Task completion time decreased by 40%, reducing inefficiencies in campaign execution.

  • Error rates dropped by 33%, thanks to improved automation and UI clarity.

  • Employee satisfaction scores rose to 94%, indicating strong adoption and usability improvements.

Beyond internal improvements, the impact extended to our clients. With faster content production cycles, campaigns launched more efficiently, and errors on live pages dropped significantly. The SEO team saw a noticeable uptick in properly optimized pages, thanks to the integration of best-practice guidelines directly into the CMS.

Reflection

This project reinforced the power of user-centered design, proving that even internal tools, often overlooked in favor of client-facing experiences, can have a massive impact on productivity and satisfaction. By involving employees early, we not only identified critical pain points, but also fostered ownership and enthusiasm for the new system. The iterative design process, supported by data-driven decision-making, ensured that our CMS evolved into a powerful asset rather than a hindrance. The CMS went from being a source of frustration to an empowering tool that streamlined workflows and elevated the agency’s ability to deliver high-quality content efficiently. Looking ahead, we will continue refining the system based on user feedback and evolving needs, ensuring that our CMS remains a valuable asset in the agency’s digital operations.

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Redesigning a Custom CMS: Empowering Teams with a More Efficient Workflow

Zehnder Communications relies heavily on its Content Management System (CMS) to create, manage, and publish content for clients. However, after years of ad-hoc updates and growing demands, the CMS had become inefficient, frustrating employees across departments. The need for a redesign became undeniable after one too many complaints from the project management and account strategy teams. What started as a minor usability issue, spiraled into a productivity roadblock. It was clear that the CMS needed a transformation.

As the lead UX designer, I spearheaded the effort to overhaul the internal CMS, ensuring it worked for the people who relied on it daily. My team was tasked with redesigning the CMS to streamline workflows, enhance usability, and empower employees to work more efficiently.

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Discovery and Understanding the Problem

To uncover the root issues, I conducted in-depth interviews with team members who interacted with the CMS daily. I spoke with project managers, account strategists and designers to understand their pain points and needs.

To supplement these insights, I audited the existing CMS workflows, tracking how long routine tasks took and where users encountered friction. A competitive analysis of modern CMS platforms gave us a benchmark for what an improved system could look like.

To ensure our solutions aligned with user needs, we hosted ideation workshops with employees from each department. Through sticky-note mapping, journey mapping, and prototype testing, we refined our ideas before moving into the design phase.

Design and Execution

The redesign process began with low-fidelity wireframes to validate our navigation improvements. After several rounds of feedback, we moved to high-fidelity prototypes in Figma. Subsequent iterations focused on polishing the details. Asset uploading was revamped with drag-and-drop functionality, inline previews, and automatic format optimization. SEO tools were integrated directly into the editor, reducing context-switching for content strategists.

Throughout the process, I worked closely with developers to ensure technical feasibility. We prioritized performance optimizations, ensuring that page load times improved without compromising functionality.

User testing played a crucial role in refining our designs. We conducted usability tests with employees, measuring task completion rates and satisfaction scores. Adjustments were made based on feedback, such as improving the visibility of key features and optimizing mobile responsiveness.

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