NYCTD
Overview
The New York Center for Teacher Development (NYCTD) is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality professional development for educators. Through online courses, workshops, and training programs, NYCTD helps teachers enhance their skills, meet certification requirements, and improve classroom performance.
I was entrusted with the brand refresh and website revamp, focusing on improving the information architecture, content strategy, and overall user experience. The redesign aimed to create a modern, engaging platform featuring a new logo, intuitive UI, enhanced search functionality, and visually improved course pages.
Role
Solo UX/UI Designer
Timeline
2 months
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Challenges
1 / Outdated Design Elements
The previous design featured an outdated aesthetic with inconsistent typography, low-quality images, and a lack of modern UI elements, making the site feel uninviting and unprofessional.
2 / Unclear Navigation Options
Users struggled to find relevant information due to a poorly structured menu and a lack of clear pathways to essential sections like course enrollment and instructor resources.
3 / Cluttered Course List Structure
The course listings were disorganized, lacking intuitive filtering, categorization, and visual hierarchy, which made it difficult for users to browse and select the right courses.
Old Website
Logo Redesign
Our primary goal was to refresh the logo while preserving its original identity, ensuring a seamless balance between familiarity and modernity.
Style Guide
The new style guide was designed to embody a modern aesthetic while maintaining the brand's core identity.
Illustrations
Designed custom illustrations to improve engagement and create a more visually appealing experience on the homepage, purchase flow, and Contact Us page.
New Search Experience
1 / Grid and List View Options
Users can switch between grid view for a visually engaging layout with course thumbnails or list view for a more compact, text-based format, depending on their preference.
2 / Category Tags for Filtering
Courses are now grouped into clear categories (e.g., Classroom Management, Technology Integration), allowing users to quickly filter relevant options and reduce cognitive load when browsing. There is also filtering for Courses Available for Registration.
3 / Sort Options for Better Navigation
Users can now sort courses by start date or title, making it easier to find upcoming courses or browse chronologically.
Final Webstie
Outcome & Reflections
1 / Enhanced Brand Identity
The new logo and visual design system modernized NYCTD’s digital presence while maintaining its credibility as a trusted provider of professional development for teachers.
2 / Improved Course Discoverability
By introducing search filters, category tags, and sorting options, users can now navigate and find relevant courses more efficiently, reducing friction in the browsing experience.
3 / Optimized User Engagement Through Visual Hierarchy
The integration of custom illustrations, structured layouts, and an intuitive grid system created a clearer, more engaging interface, improving course visibility and interaction.
4 / Flexible Browsing Experience
Providing grid and list view options empowered users with more control over how they navigate courses, accommodating different browsing preferences.
5 / Mobile-First, Responsive Design
With a growing number of educators accessing courses on mobile, the fully responsive redesign ensured a seamless user experience across all devices.
"We so enjoyed working with Melisa. Not only do we love the design but she made a difficult task so easy!
Her tremendous depth of knowledge and wonderful creativity allowed us to have not only a superbly designed website but also one that functions with ease."
Ronald and Rosanne Aquilina
Founder of NYCTD