Landslide Hazards Research Lab:

Case Study

Client Overview

Dr. Ben Leshchinsky

Richardson Chair and Professor in Forest Engineering, Resources, & Management

Oregon State University

Landslide hazards, geotechnical engineering, slope stability, and lidar applications to geohazards.

Dr. Leshchinsky’s research group needed a modern website to showcase research, provide resources, and promote their contributions to geotechnical engineering.

Project Goals

Highlight Research: Showcase the group's focus areas, such as landslide monitoring, slope stability, and numerical modeling.
Engage Students and Collaborators: Create a resourceful platform for potential students, collaborators, and stakeholders to learn about the group's activities.
Improve Accessibility: Ensure the website is user-friendly, responsive, and accessible on all devices.
Efficient Maintenance: Enable the research team to easily update content without requiring technical expertise.

Challenges

Complex Research Content: Simplifying technical research for accessibility.
Dynamic Updates: Ensuring the team could regularly update publications, ongoing projects, and other group activities.
Visual Appeal: Balancing academic professionalism with engaging design to attract potential collaborators and students.

My Approach

Planning: Consulted with Dr. Leshchinsky to align the website with the group’s objectives and audiences.
Content Organization:
- Home Page: Featured the group’s mission, publications, and projects.
- Research Areas: Clear sections for topics like landslide hazards and slope stability.
- Team Page: Highlighted team members and contact information.
- Publications: Structured layout for listing and linking publications.
- Resources: Downloadable course materials and joining information.
Design and Development:
- Used default WordPress theme with no plugins or custom CSS.
- Responsive grid layout with Group and Columns Blocks.
- Maintained a clean, professional aesthetic with default typography.
- Optimized image placement for visual storytelling.
Responsiveness: Tested on multiple devices for a seamless experience. Adjusted block alignment for natural wrapping.
Training: Provided a guide and live session on how to:
- Add publications.
- Update research areas.
- Modify team profiles.

Final Deliverables

Fully Functional Website: A clean and modern website tailored to the group’s needs.
Content Management Guide: A comprehensive manual for updating content easily.
Responsive Design: A mobile-friendly website tested across multiple platforms.

Outcomes

Increased Visibility: The website has attracted more prospective students and collaborators, enhancing the group’s reach.
Improved Efficiency: The team can now easily update content, reducing reliance on external developers.
Professional Image: The group’s research is presented in a polished and organized manner, appealing to academic and professional audiences.