I developed and optimized the UC Digital Kit, a Vanilla JavaScript library that ensures accessibility, consistency, and performance across more than 100 institutional websites.
UC Digital Kit
The UC Digital Kit is the backbone of the digital ecosystem at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. It is a Vanilla JavaScript component library that guarantees visual consistency, accessibility, and performance across more than 100 institutional websites.
The choice of Vanilla JS was not accidental: it answered a key requirement of the project — to work on any site, regardless of whether it uses a modern framework or not. This ensures that both new applications and traditional university websites can integrate the same components and styles without friction.
My contribution
I began by addressing specific accessibility and usability issues, but over time my role expanded into designing and implementing higher-impact technical solutions:
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Loading optimization with dynamic imports
I replaced the monolithic loading of the Kit with a system that scans the DOM and downloads only the components actually in use. Instead of loading the full library, each site now receives only what is necessary, improving performance across the entire ecosystem. -
Improved accessibility and semantics
I replacedbackground-imageusage in more than 50 components with<img>elements andaltattributes. This allowed screen reader users to access previously inaccessible content, while also improving semantic structure and search engine visibility. -
Compatibility and distribution
The Kit is distributed via CDN and NPM, enabling integration into both modern build pipelines and traditional non-compiled sites. This requires strict backward compatibility, ensuring that updates do not break projects already in production. -
Comprehensive accessibility review
I am currently leading a full accessibility review of the Kit’s components under WCAG 2.1 AA standards, ensuring that any improvement is immediately reflected in dependent projects such as UC Portal and UC Agenda.
Technologies used
- Vanilla JavaScript to guarantee universal compatibility.
- CSS/SCSS for modular, reusable styles in any environment.
- CDN and NPM as distribution channels.
Impact
The UC Digital Kit is more than just a library: it is the common infrastructure that multiplies the impact of every improvement. Each adjustment in performance, accessibility, or usability benefits the entire university community — students, faculty, and staff — through dozens of sites that share the same technological foundation.