The Client
Research to Real World is an initiative from the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas that helps make research-backed programs, assessments, training, and educational resources easier to discover and use.
Designed for educators, practitioners, families, and other professionals, the platform helps bridge the gap between academic research and real-world application by bringing evidence-based resources together in one accessible, searchable website.
The Work
Working in collaboration with Garrett Digital, I helped transform Research to Real World’s existing brand identity and project discovery into a complete website experience. I developed the wireframes and visual design, creating a flexible system that made a large and growing library of research-backed resources easy to explore.
A major focus of the project was helping visitors find resources based on their needs, rather than requiring them to already know the name of a specific program. The site was structured around topics, audiences, resource types, and partners, creating intuitive pathways for teachers, parents, practitioners, and other users to discover relevant tools and information.
The website was designed and built in WordPress using Kadence Blocks and WooCommerce. WooCommerce provides the underlying structure for the resource catalog and product-style pages, while purchases and downloads can connect visitors with external partner platforms when needed. The result is a scalable WordPress website that combines the familiarity of an e-commerce experience with the flexibility needed for a growing collection of educational and research resources.
