The University of Southern California (USC) embarked on an ambitious project to migrate its vast digital presence to a new, modern website. Refact, a leading design and development company, played a pivotal role in this significant transition. This case study explores how Refact’s expertise and collaboration with USC and Digital Pulp ensured a seamless migration process, focusing on the migration’s first and ongoing phases.
USC: a Unique School and a Unique Client
The University of Southern California (USC) is the oldest private research university in California, established in 1880 in the heart of Los Angeles. With 23 schools and almost 50,000 students, USC is a major institute with considerable demands on its website and digital assets. The Keck School of Medicine is a part of the university, and it stands out for its innovative approach to medical education, research, patient care, and community engagement. USC is a beacon for future leaders of health, industry, and academia, and we are proud to play a role in their mission of fostering knowledge and progress.
A Journey Begins
Refact’s journey with USC started with us providing maintenance for their old website. Then USC decided it was time for a new, fresher online presence, and they worked with Digital Pulp to design their new website. When the time came to move to the new website, we were there to make it happen. The challenge wasn’t just any website overhaul, however – USC’s digital landscape was a beautiful chaos of unique microsites and smaller subdomains, all needing to transition smoothly to their new home.
Technical Deep Dive: The Migration Strategy
The migration was in fact like moving house on a massive scale. It included redirecting and migrating a vast number of articles, cleaning and organizing content, and ensuring nothing was broken or lost in the process.
- Content Migration: We moved a considerable number of pages, posts, and articles from USC’s numerous subdomains to the new site. This required precise planning to ensure no piece of content was left behind or improperly formatted.
- Cleanup and Organization: Beyond mere transfer, Refact ensured that each page, asset, and piece of metadata was cleaned up and organized according to the new site’s structure and standards.
By implementing strategic redirects and working closely with WPEngine, we ensured that USC’s digital footprint remained strong and visible throughout the transition.
Phase 1.5: a Landmark Migration of the PPHS Website
A pivotal moment in our project was the recent migration of the PPHS website from its own subdomain into the Keck School of Medicine’s new digital space. We decided to call this phase 1.5, and it included more than just content migration – we had to plan everything to ensure a smooth and functioning transition. This meant three main tasks:
- Newsroom Migration: Like the first phase, we had to clean up the articles and their assets from the PPHS newsroom, move them to the new Keck USC newsroom, and add user profiles and access for their authors and editors.
- Redirecting Rules: We set up and automated 301 redirecting rules to make sure their SEO would not be hurt by the relocation and that no link would end up missing or misplaced, despite the massive amount of content.
- WPEngine Setup: Handling the technical aspects of the migration, ensuring a smooth transition to the new hosting environment.
With this phase successfully out of the way, we have now started working on the remaining parts of the old USC website. We are also starting our role as USC’s main digital partner.
Phase 2: Finalizing the Migration and Beyond
With phase 1.5 successfully over and behind us, our partnership with USC is moving into higher gear. Moving forward, we will of course be focusing on the remaining content and subdomains. Aside from finalizing the migration, however, we’re also going to maintain the new website and ensure everything runs smoothly. Acting now as USC’s main digital partner and vendor, Refact is ready to introduce new features and innovations on the new website as needed.
Impact, Results, and the Way Forward
Collaborating with USC and Digital Pulp, we have contributed to taking USC’s online presence one step further. The new website isn’t just about adding a modern look – it’s about creating a user-friendly, accessible, and intuitive experience. So far, we have ensured a smooth content migration that matches the scale and demands of the project. Continuing our partnership directly with USC, Refact is now committed to empowering USC’s digital evolution, implementing new features while maintaining and updating the website to provide students, faculty, and all visitors with the best user experience possible.
