Angela Velasquez

Goals

MUA needed a centralized platform to manage and present their online cultural and educational programs. During the pandemic, they had developed new initiatives across social media and other online channels, but content remained fragmented. The key objectives were:

• Unify multiple content sources into a single, user-friendly portal.
• Document program processes and showcase organizational achievements.
• Deploy a scalable solution to host extensive media libraries and educational resources.

---

The soultion

After the initial discovery meetings and requirements gathering, we agreed to build a custom CMS platform using WordPress, optimized for MUA’s internal team and volunteers to manage content efficiently.

Working Approach

Given the nature of the organization and project scope, we worked with a flexible collaboration model with bi-weekly meetings and regular message check-ins for smaller updates. Despite the challenges of working during lockdown, this approach allowed us to maintain momentum and deliver results on schedule.

Strategic Planning & Implementation

Infrastructure Optimization

We migrated MUA to a new hosting provider that offered robust services specialized to the organization’s needs, including dedicated customer support for non-technical administrators managing the site.

MUA Institutional Website

We designed and developed a centralized platform to cover all organizational programs and initiatives under one unified domain. This domain (now live and ongoing at (muahn.com)) serves as the single source of truth for MUA’s cultural and educational offerings.

Design System Development

To maintain brand consistency we translated MUA’s existing style guide into a comprehensive WordPress design system, creating a custom theme aligned with their identity and visual communication standards.

Knowledge Transfer & Documentation

Recognizing that MUA relies on volunteers and staff with limited CMS experience, we created a library of guidelines and resources with step-by-step video tutorials. Empowering team members to update content independently and new volunteers onboard quickly.

Pakas Program Migration

Pakas, an existing WordPress site launched during the 2020 lockdown, featured workshops and tutorials with local artists. The original infrastructure wasn’t scalable for the organization’s growth and funding needs. We rebuilt the platform, migrated all content, and enhanced the theme. The site is currently being consolidated into the new institutional platform.

MUA Website

Preparing step by step tutorials for the person in charge of updating content

It was a great tool and platform for artists, specially during 2020.

---

Outcomes

Operational Independence

MUA transitioned from being blocked on updating content to managing their platforms internally and rely on external support for hosting/tech issues. The custom training resources and intuitive CMS structure empowered volunteers and staff to update content and publish news with lower delays. And the new hosting provider offered expert 24/7 support for technical issues related to wordpress, plugins, status, etc.

Measurable impact:

• Content publishing workflow accelerated from 2-3 days to 1 hour on average
• Training library with step-by-step guides created for new staff and volunteers

Cost-Effective Scalability

Strategic infrastructure improvements and platform consolidation positioned MUA to scale their digital presence without proportional increases in maintenance costs or technical overhead. Value delivered:

• Unified platform eliminated need for multiple hosting providers
• Design system is expected to reduce future development time

Enhanced Institutional Credibility

A professional, cohesive digital presence strengthened MUA’s positioning for grant applications and community partnerships. The centralized platform demonstrates organizational maturity and impact. Strategic outcomes:

• Consolidated 3+ fragmented initiatives into single digital hub
• Professional website infrastructure
• Improved brand consistency across products

Project Learnings

• Inheriting the Pakas project mid-development taught valuable lessons in pragmatic problem-solving. Rather than pursuing ideal solutions within tight time and budget constraints, we optimized existing infrastructure—demonstrating that strategic adaptation often delivers better value than complete rebuilds.
• Serving as the sole technical resource expanded my capacity to own complex decisions independently. Without an IT department to lean on, I developed deeper expertise across hosting, backend systems, and user support—ultimately enabling faster, more customized solutions aligned with MUA’s mission-driven work.