Ansys
Event Experience & CMS Governance Redesign
Summary
Mission
Ansys set out to standardize its global event templates to improve consistency, scalability, and usability across regions. The goal was to create a flexible system that supported both user needs and internal workflows while improving overall performance
My Contri butions
I led the analysis and redesign of event templates across multiple tiers, using behavioral insights and workflow reviews to identify usability gaps and inconsistencies. I translated these findings into a modular, scalable template system that improved clarity, consistency, and ease of use.
I defined the information architecture, created wireframes, and designed reusable components that reduced errors for non-technical CMS users while maintaining strong visual alignment. I also supported implementation and optimization to ensure consistent performance across regions.
Role
Web Coordinator
Project Responsibility
UX Lead, Template System Architect
Scope
6 Global Event Pages
Audience
External:
Professional engineers, researchers, and designers needing high-fidelity simulation, primarily in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, and energy sectors.
Internal:
CMS Editors, Web & Marketing Teams
Impact
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Reduced web team support tickets by introducing structured content modeling and clearer component governance
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Decreased layout corrections through controlled component architecture and defined layout zones
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Accelerated publishing timelines by reducing cross-team dependency and simplifying the editor workflow
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Prevented template drift by eliminating legacy duplication patterns and enforcing scalable structure
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Achieved high adoption of the new template system, with editors consistently following standardized content practices
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Established a scalable event framework deployable across all regions, improving long-term governance and brand consistency
+296%
Increased event registrations
Improved webpage production & publication
+30%
Challenge
Ansys’s event pages lacked a consistent structure, leading to fragmented experiences across regions and template tiers. Layouts varied, navigation was unclear, and components were used inconsistently—making it difficult for users to understand content, navigate effectively, and move through a clear user journey.
Tab-based layouts further disrupted content flow and limited visibility, often hiding key information and weakening storytelling. This created friction during critical moments such as discovery, evaluation, and registration, ultimately impacting engagement and conversion.
Internally, the absence of standardized templates introduced operational inefficiencies. Non-technical CMS editors had too much flexibility without clear guardrails, resulting in duplicated components, inconsistent hierarchies, and frequent publishing errors. This made it difficult to maintain a cohesive experience and scale effectively.
Key Insights
These findings revealed that the issue was not purely visual, but systemic — requiring structural constraints, content modeling, and governance alignment rather than surface-level redesign.
1. Template Drift Due to Lack of Governance
Editors duplicated legacy pages, compounding structural inconsistencies over time.
System Insight:
Without structured content modeling and constraints, design integrity degrades at scale.
2. Unlimited Editing Control Reduced UX Consistency
Near-limitless layout control resulted in:
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Component duplication
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Hierarchy breakdown
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Poor mobile structure
System Insight:
Flexibility without guardrails decreases quality in non-technical user environments.
4. Workflow Bottlenecks
Editors required web team intervention for new components, slowing production.
System Insight:
Lack of modular scalability created operational friction.
3. Mental Model Misalignment
Editors optimized for “content entry,” not end-to-end user journey.
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Redundant messaging
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Poor sequencing
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No awareness of cross-channel context (email → page)
System Insight:
The CMS interface did not reinforce user journey thinking.
Before Re-design
Audience
This experience was designed for a global audience of highly technical professionals, including engineers, researchers, and enterprise customers engaging with Ansys events across industries such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing.
Primary users ranged from:
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Experienced simulation engineers seeking advanced technical sessions
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New users exploring Ansys capabilities through introductory content
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Enterprise decision-makers evaluating solutions through event engagement
These users often operate in high-complexity environments and require:
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Clear, structured information architecture
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Efficient pathways to relevant content
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Confidence in the credibility and depth of technical material
Additionally, internal stakeholders—including marketing teams, event coordinators, and content managers—relied on these templates to scale event creation globally while maintaining consistency, accuracy, and brand integrity.
The solution needed to balance:
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Usability for end users navigating complex content
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Flexibility for internal teams managing events at scale
Approach
In addition to a template redesign, I focused on improving hierarchy, clarity, and mobile usability, the solution addressed underlying system and governance issues that were causing long-term degradation.
Design Strategy
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A redesigned event template with improved information hierarchy and mobile prioritization
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Structured content modeling to enforce consistency
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Restricted component architecture to prevent misuse
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Controlled layout zones to preserve hierarchy
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Clear component usage logic aligned to content types
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A scalable governance framework to prevent template drift
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Onboarding tutorial & documentation to align editors
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A defined escalation path for introducing new content needs
Key Design Decisions
Transitioning from Tabs to Anchor-Based Navigation
Replaced tabs with an anchor link secondary navigation in the same location to preserve familiarity while improving usability. This enabled a scroll-based experience, improved mobile navigation, and exposed content that was previously hidden.
Shifting to a Scroll-Based, Hierarchical Content Flow
Moved from segmented tabs to a continuous layout with a clear content hierarchy. This improved storytelling, reduced friction, and helped users progress naturally from discovery to conversion.
Designing Modular Components for Scalability
Created reusable components to standardize layouts and reduce inconsistencies. This enabled non-technical CMS users to build pages efficiently while maintaining design integrity.
Introducing Guardrails Through Structured Layout Zone
Implemented flexible but constrained layout zones to prevent misuse and preserve hierarchy. This reduced layout errors and improved consistency across global teams.
Enabling Flexible Content Tiers Without Breaking UX
Designed the system to support varying content needs across event types, allowing sections to be added or removed without disrupting the user journey. This kept pages relevant while maintaining strong visibility of key calls to action.
Before and After
Results
The redesign evolved into a systemic intervention addressing user experience, content governance, and operational efficiency across the organization. This led to a 30% increase to page production with minimal to no errors as well as increased the amount of registrations for events up to 296%.
