United Methodist Communications
Rebuilding UMC.org, ResourceUMC, and UM News
Moving three high-traffic denominational sites off a maintenance-bound Sitecore XP platform, with one shared information architecture, a web-ready brand, and coded prototypes.
UX/CX Director — strategy, information architecture, coded prototypes, user testing · TODO (e.g. 2025–2026)
- Strategy
- Information architecture
- Coded prototypes
- User testing
- Brand adaptation
- Cross-department leadership
- SEO
The problem
UMC.org, ResourceUMC.org, and UMNews.org run on Sitecore XP. The platform was hard to build for, so most of the team's time went to maintenance, and better components and experiences were nearly impossible to ship. The sites had also drifted apart: poorly structured and inconsistent with the brand.
My role
TODO: who you led and partnered with (developer, BA, Creative Services, leadership), and what you personally owned.
One structure for three sites
UMC.org is organized around four pillars — Discover, Connect, Learn, and Grow — and serves as the hub. ResourceUMC (tools and training for church leaders) and UM News (news and stories) work as focused satellites, each for a distinct audience, under one brand.
A brand built for the web
The denomination's brand standards were written for print. Working with Creative Services, I adapted them so the new sites complement the defined brand without being bound by print-only rules.
Prototypes in code, not static mockups
TODO: why coded prototypes, how they were tested and demoed, what feedback changed.
Then and now
In 2018 I helped launch UMNews.org on Sitecore, including in-person user testing with 36 participants in three locations. Seven years later, I'm leading its replacement.
What changed
TODO: status, decisions made, early results.
The redesign
One shared structure and brand across all three sites.
On mobile: redesigned
MyUMC
A personal dashboard for members and a management dashboard for churches — shown signed out, empty, and in use.