Over the summer, I worked as a design intern under the supervision of Ed Beck at the SUNY Oneonta Faculty Center. The faculty center has been exploring ways to encourage students to build ePortfolios, and as a design student, I was able to contribute my skills to this initiative. My main role was to support students in developing portfolios. I worked extensively in WordPress, where I helped create a new starter theme that students could use to build their own professional portfolios and websites.
Final Project Outcome
As a culminating project, I designed and launched my own personal e-portfolio/website, applying the skills I had developed throughout the internship. Beyond my work, I also contributed to the SUNY Oneonta OpenLab WordPress site by designing a theme with custom headers, footers, and page layouts for ePortfolios that improved consistency and accessibility. The new theme was implemented in the Fall 2025 semester for campus-wide student use.
What I did
To support the adoption of these tools, I created student-friendly tutorials that walked users through customizing the pre-made templates. These guides were written from the perspective of a student, making them approachable and easy to follow for first-time WordPress users.
• Designed reusable WordPress patterns that followed ADA accessibility standards.
• Built my first beginner portfolio on WordPress, learning the program through trial and error.
• Helped improve the usability and design of the OpenLab WordPress site, contributing elements like headers, footers, and galleries.
• Developed tutorials and documentation to help students confidently create their own websites and portfolios.
What I learned
When I began this internship, I had no prior experience with WordPress. My first take building a simple portfolio, challenged me to learn quickly and adapt. As I continued working, I became more confident in designing and customizing websites, learning not only the technical aspects of WordPress but also how accessibility and usability shape design decisions.
