Enterprise: scaling Stanford Medicine's digital presence
Stanford Medicine at a glance
- Upgraded digital presence from 250 fragmented sites to unified system
- Created scalable infrastructure supporting over 600 websites
- Developed a system that served Stanford Medicine for over 10 years
- Advanced from lead web designer to web support & training manager
- Achieved top Google rankings for key medical education terms
When Kevin Boyd joined Stanford School of Medicine as lead web designer in 2000, he encountered a fragmented digital landscape: 250 individual websites, some with custom builds costing up to $10,000, most using outdated frames-based formats. Over the next decade, he would transform this digital ecosystem while saving the institution millions.
Building a unified system
Boyd's first challenge was creating consistency across Stanford Medicine's web presence. Rather than adopt expensive commercial solutions like Interwoven TeamSite, which would have cost $1 million plus annual licensing, he invented a novel server-side architecture using server-side includes and root referencing. This innovative approach allowed for:
- Centralized control of common elements
- Distributed content management by site owners
- Flexible sub-branding capabilities
- Integration with internal software tools
- Cost-effective scaling across departments
The infrastructure proved so successful that Stanford Hospital & Clinics adopted it, eventually supporting more than 600 websites across the institution, and through one redesign, and then another.
Creating an in-house agency
Recognizing the need for sustainable site development and maintenance, Boyd established Web Help, an in-house agency that reduced build costs by 75%. He:
- Trained over 800 site authors through 250 live sessions
- Saved an estimated $57,000 annually in training costs
- Led 12 temporary employees in site development
- Managed comprehensive redesigns in 2007 and 2008
- Guided a team of 5 in converting 450 sites to new formats
The results earned Stanford Medicine top Google rankings for "medical school" and "school of medicine," plus the 2008 AAMC Award of Excellence in Electronic Communications. Boyd's contributions were recognized with a promotion to manager of web support & training and a nomination for Stanford's Amy J. Blue Award for exceptional staff service.
Impact and legacy
By the time Boyd concluded his tenure in 2011, his technical infrastructure and processes had served Stanford Medicine for a decade, saving more than $3 million in projected costs. The experience shaped his career trajectory in crucial ways. Creating and managing an in-house web agency developed his skills in team leadership and resource management. The constant evolution of web technologies during this period from frames to Flash to modern HTML and CSS honed his ability to adapt to changing technical landscapes. These capabilities, combined with his experience managing large-scale implementations and distributed development teams, would prove essential in future roles at Signifyd and other organizations where he would lead complex digital transformations.
