Reducing the Barrier: How User Research is Shaping HarvardSites

Presented at the HUIT Tech Talk, November 10, 2026

Reducing the Barrier: How User Research is Shaping HarvardSites

This page accompanies "Reducing the Barrier: How User Research is Shaping HarvardSites." The talk covered two improvements that came directly out of user research led by the Harvard Web Publishing team: an admin notifications system and a series of short, self-paced training videos. Both trace back to themes that emerged from a comprehensive survey of HarvardSites Drupal site builders.

The Research

The Harvard Web Publishing team refines the HarvardSites Drupal platform based on direct feedback from our site building community. Following our January 2026 Site Builder Sentiment Survey (which gathered insights across 24 questions from more than 160 site builders across schools and units), we identified key pain points and opportunities.

Survey Questions

160+

Responses

Case Studies

During the talk, we shared two case studies demonstrating our research-driven process in action. Here is a brief recap showing how we took feedback from site builders to improve their experience with HarvardSites Drupal.

Admin Notification

What We Heard

Site builders told us update communications felt inconsistent and generic, leaving them uncertain about what had changed. We were already publishing release information on the HarvardSites Drupal Guide site, but many site builders didn't know it existed.

What We Implemented

We built a notifications system directly into the admin toolbar, so updates surface where site builders already work.

Video Tutorials/Asynchronous Training

What We Heard

Site builders told us live training didn't always fit their schedules, and that a meaningful share didn't even know training resources existed. We already had a written guide on the HarvardSites Drupal Guide site, but many site builders didn't know it was there, or found it wasn't enough on its own.

What We Implemented

We built a library of short, self-paced videos as a lower-friction option alongside our existing live sessions and written guide.

Our Process

This is the process behind both improvements. We gauge demand from user feedback, prioritize based on impact, plan the work, and implement it. It's a repeatable pattern you can apply to your own service or product.

HWP's internal feature process, gauge demand, prioritize, plan, implement.

Connect With the Presenters

Laurier Cress

Laurier_Cress@harvard.edu

UX Designer/Researcher

As a UX Researcher and Designer on the HWP team, I specialize in crafting meaningful, user-centered digital experiences. I lead user research for the Harvardsites Design System, ensuring our solutions are guided by real user needs and insights. With a...

Dan Cabral

robert_cabral@harvard.edu

UI/UX Designer

I have been in the web/interactive field since the early 2000's, working in industries ranging from higher ed, to advertising, to publishing, and market research. While I have held a variety of positions, my focus has always been on leveraging...