The Metropolitan Water District provides clean water to 19 million Southern Californians.A a complete website transformation was needed to better reflect its mission and operations. Goals included presenting complex infrastructure and policy information in an accessible way, integrating with existing media and HR platforms while delivering a user experience that supports both public engagement and internal communication; ensuring clarity, accessibility, and stakeholder trust.

Working closely with UX, insights were gathered from stakeholder interviews, content audits, and a full sitemap restructure to guide site architecture and priorities. I partnered with MWD’s internal designer to establish the visual tone, translating their rich history into engaging, brand-consistent visuals. Once the direction was set, I designed nine scalable templates to support growth within their CMS.

Prototyping helped test and illustrate interactive elements like animated storytelling, guided tours, and scroll-based animations, ensuring the experience felt intuitive and modern.

Prototype

The site integrated with media and HR systems and was built to be accessible, scalable, and responsive.

The final site successfully elevated MWD’s digital presence, offering a more engaging and informative experience for both public and internal audiences. Accessibility and usability were significantly improved, while the modular template system empowered the client to manage and grow content with ease. The project was recognized with seven industry awards and one honors distinction for excellence in design, innovation, and user experience.