Overview
The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) required a digital platform that could reflect both the academic seriousness of its programs and the school’s roots in transformative, integrative education. The site needed to balance modern usability with symbolic depth, while supporting a wide range of content from academic programs to institutional initiatives.
Role
Primary Front End Developer
Drupal, Twig, Pattern Lab, Atomic Design, SASS, JavaScript, GSAP
The Problem
The existing site was inconsistent and hard to manage. CIIS needed a system that allowed editors to build complex pages quickly while maintaining design fidelity. The site also had to carry forward the school’s brand identity, integrating symbolic elements and creating a more engaging user experience through motion and interactivity.
My Contribution
I developed the front end using Drupal and Twig, applying an Atomic Design methodology to break the interface into reusable components. Pattern Lab was used to maintain a living style guide, ensuring design and development teams shared a consistent library of elements.
SASS was implemented for modular styling and theming, while JavaScript handled custom interactions and enhancements. GSAP powered select animations that gave depth and motion to the brand experience — including scroll-based reveals, transitions, and the subtle incorporation of symbolic graphics — creating a site that felt both modern and rooted in CIIS’s identity.
As the primary front end developer, I was responsible for integrating all components into Drupal, ensuring accessibility and performance standards were met while still delivering a site that felt dynamic and alive.
Impact
The result was a scalable, component-driven platform that brought structure to CIIS’s digital presence. Editors gained the flexibility to publish confidently, while students and prospective applicants experienced a modern, navigable site that highlighted CIIS’s unique programs and initiatives with clarity and visual depth.