The Townsend Center for the Humanities at UC Berkeley runs several interdisciplinary programs to foster innovative research, promote intellectual discourse, and support various academic initiatives.
Challenge
- Outdated Platform: The legacy Drupal site was difficult to maintain and needed to be upgraded for security and performance.
- Complex Program Structure: The Center’s diverse offerings—including events, seminars, fellowships, and nearly 70 interdisciplinary working groups—needed clearer organization.
- Limited Accessibility: The previous site did not meet WCAG accessibility standards, restricting access for some users.
- Lack of Visual Distinction: The website didn’t reflect the Center’s unique role and identity on campus.
Solution
Black Antelope led a full redesign and rebuild of the Townsend Center website in Drupal, focused on clarity, accessibility, and long-term maintainability. We worked closely with Center staff to restructure the site around key user journeys and reorganize its deep content offerings—including major public lectures, writing-intensive undergraduate seminars, humanities workshops, student internship opportunities, and nearly 70 interdisciplinary working groups.
We crafted a unique visual identity for the site—one that speaks to the Center’s role as a vibrant, intellectually rich space for dialogue across disciplines. The clean, modern design elevates the Center’s offerings while making them more accessible to students, faculty, and the public.
Accessibility was a key priority throughout. The site now meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards, with semantic markup, proper color contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility—ensuring inclusive access for all users.
Results
- Modern, Secure Platform: Upgraded to the latest version of Drupal for improved stability and editorial control.
- Streamlined Content Structure: Clear, audience-driven navigation for events, working groups, seminars, and fellowships.
- Distinct Visual Identity: A custom design that reflects the Center’s interdisciplinary focus and cultural mission.
- Accessibility Compliance: WCAG 2.0 AA–compliant design ensures broader access to public-facing content.
