Into The Box 2023 Platform Redesign

Overview

Into The Box is an annual developer conference by Ortus Solutions. For the 2023 edition, the goal was not just to redesign the website, but to establish a scalable foundation for future editions.

Problem

Previous editions were built as static sites, making updates time-consuming and error-prone. Content was tightly coupled to the codebase, limiting flexibility, collaboration, and long-term maintainability.

Role

I led the redesign of the platform structure, defining the content model, UI system, and coordinating implementation to ensure alignment between design and development.

Approach

I approached the project as a system redesign rather than a one-off site, focusing on decoupling content from presentation and enabling reuse across future editions.

Key Decisions

• Transitioned from static pages to a CMS-driven architecture using ContentBox.
• Defined a reusable content structure to support both current and past event editions.
• Designed a modular UI system adaptable to future visual updates.
• Introduced an archive system to preserve and access previous years.

Technical Implementation

Structured templates and styles to support modular reuse across editions, enabling faster iteration and consistent implementation.

Collaborated with the development team to align CMS structure, front-end behavior, and content workflows.

Outcome / Impact

Reduced annual launch time from months to under 4 weeks, shifting the focus from rebuilding to iterating.

Enabled a repeatable system for future editions, allowing teams to focus on content and design rather than infrastructure.

Learnings

Designing for recurring products requires thinking beyond a single release. Investing in systems early reduces long-term cost and enables faster iteration cycles.