Strategic Partner.
Fierce Advocate.
Patient Mentor.
Reliable Teammate.
Seasoned Designer.
Curious Human.

Hi, I’m Whitney. I lead a team of amazing content strategy and UX professionals at EAB. We focus specifically on creating enrollment-optimized website experiences for colleges and universities.

 

My Current Areas of Influence

Departmental Leadership

In 2019 I joined EAB, a leader in educational technology, research, and marketing, to help define a new digital agency team. Our mission was to design and launch a new department from the ground up. Over the past 3 years we have successfully established the department and grown from 3 to over 20 people.

See how I provide strategic guidance to the business >

  • Strategic Planning

  • Product and Service Definition

  • Unit Economics

  • Cost/Benefit Analysis

  • Resource Modeling and Capacity Planning

  • Product Acquisition Evaluation

  • Extradepartmental Consulting

Creative Team Development & Management

As the Senior Creative Director, I am responsible for building and overseeing a team of content strategists, UX strategists, copywriters, UI designers, creative technologists and digital producers. I also act as a bridge between the creative team and our development partner.

View some of the ways I support my team >

In previous roles, I have managed associate creative directors, creative strategists, art directors, graphic designers, writers, and web designers. I’ve also directed production crews made up of photographers, videographers, lighting crews, editors, composers, and audio engineers.

  • Skill Enrichment and Training

  • Career Pathing

  • Team Organization and Hiring

  • Management and Mentorship

  • Critique and Industry Benchmarking

Process and Tools

I have spent many years doing the work so I know what it takes. If there is a process I can design or tool I can build that improves efficiency, heightens focus, makes the job more enjoyable, or adds value to our partners, I’m going to figure it out.

Take a peek at a few of the tools I’ve created >

  • Custom UI Kits, Asset Libraries

  • Remote Design Sprint Frameworks

  • Tagged Content Audit Organizers

  • Sitemap and URL Management Sheets

  • Asset Collection Processes and Techniques

Tactical Execution

I love the process of creating and maintain a very hands-on approach throughout the lifecycle of many of our projects. I tend to focus on the strategic aspects of the work, but our team is lean, so I also contribute to the production of partner deliverables. Our projects range from small, on-page content strategy engagements to full .edu redesigns.

View some of my recent work below.

  • Content Auditing, Global and On-page Content Strategy

  • Information Architecture, Sitemapping, Site Taxonomy

  • Mental Models, User Behavior Flows

  • Wireframes, Prototypes

  • Mood Boards, Visual Design Systems, UI Kit Development

  • CMS Evaluation, Technical Auditing

  • Functional Requirements and Development Handoff

  • Georgian Court University

    Targeted, On-Page Content Strategy

    Strategic optimization of 15, enrollment critical pages, delivered as visual content briefs and fully executed copywriting.

    view project

  • NSU Florida

    Undergraduate Admissions Subdomain

    75-page content strategy engagement including information architecture, on-page strategy, custom UI kit based on CMS capabilities, copywriting, and interactive media.

    View Project

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Academic Program Directory / Design Sprint

    5-day, remote design sprint to facilitate the development of a new academic program directory.

    View project

  • St. Norbert College

    Comprehensive .edu Website Redesign

    Full website redesign including information architecture, sitemap, wireframes, visual design, and development consultation.

    view project
 

Perception is Reality

In February of 2022, I was given a blind 360° review by 10 of my colleagues including direct reports, peers, and my manager on the executive leadership team. Here are a few things they had to say…

 

  • ”Whitney is at her best as a leader as a problem solver, solution finder, team educator, designer, director, and presenter. Whitney has led the growth of our content strategy practice which is second to none and gets incredible marks from our partners.”

    “Whitney is always a strong advocate for her team. She will fight for their time, resources, and respect if ever the need arises. She articulates the truth of a situation well, and in so doing produces a strong case for what she and her team need.”

    ”Whitney brings a realists view of the work we do and the capacity of our team to accomplish the work. Whitney can identify the areas where our team will be challenged, can grow, or could break.”

    ”I appreciate Whitney's leadership of the creative team for a few reasons. She balances time in the trenches with us and advocating for the team/creative/schedules/other leadership. Between one on ones and regular meetings, there are plenty of opportunities for all voices to be heard. Feedback on creative, products, process, etc. is sought regularly and ideas are always considered. She is good at providing leadership opportunities and growth plans for her team. I feel very fortunate to be on her team. I appreciate her as an advocate and really enjoy learning from her.”

    “Whitney's approach to partner success is all encompassing. Whether we are working on early design concepts or finalizing deliverables, her attention to detail and project objectives are consistently pushing for attainable levels of perfection. Managing internal resources and time to complete project tasks is also one of Whitney's many positive contributions to Agency's ability to execute and deliver quality products.”