Hey, it's Holly!
The Winnow Admin Portal (ADP) serves as a custom content management system, enabling the Winnow team to efficiently manage and publish data to the main platform. Designed for speed, security, and ease of use, the ADP streamlines content updates and data processing—ensuring that staff can maintain the site with minimal friction and full confidence in system stability.
Client:
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
My Role:
Product Designer
Year:
2023
Service Provided:
Product Design
A core challenge of the project was designing a system flexible enough to accommodate variably structured databases while standardizing field translation across the platform. The solution needed to ensure data integrity, maintain transparency, and uphold security—allowing diverse datasets to be unified without compromising the accuracy or authenticity of the original information.
In close collaboration with a small, cross-functional team—two designers, a backend developer, and a frontend developer—we co-defined the platform’s information architecture. Our approach carefully balanced design goals with technical constraints, ensuring the structure could support a robust, database-driven system with version control and historical data tracking capabilities.
The outcome was a user-friendly, visual WYSIWYG CMS designed to empower staff with real-time content management capabilities. The system allows users to update databases, rebuild template pages, and manage content with immediate visual feedback—all within a clean, minimal interface. We also implemented user management features, including role-based permissions and admin review workflows, adding a crucial layer of control and security to the publishing process.
My work on the Winnow Admin Portal played a key role in transforming complex data management into a seamless, secure, and intuitive experience for non-technical users.
By co-leading the information architecture, shaping a streamlined WYSIWYG interface, and embedding robust permission controls, I helped create a system that balances flexibility with governance.
This not only empowered the Winnow team to manage content efficiently and confidently, but also ensured long-term scalability and integrity for a mission-driven educational platform.
