Website design for research institutes and life sciences
Research websites tend to grow from the inside out. Groups, facilities, publications and seminars all earn a menu item, and the people you most want to reach have to understand your org chart before they find anything. We design websites that explain the science in plain English and put the people behind it at the front, so scientists, students, funders and partners can all find their way.
Explain the science before you list it
At the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, the old homepage read like an internal noticeboard: eleven menu links, full academic paper titles and a staff intranet in the main navigation.
We brought eleven sections down to five, gave each research theme a one-line summary in plain English, and built careers around purpose and belonging, because the Institute can't compete on salary. More than two years on, it is using that homepage to find its next Director.
Built for every audience
You get journeys mapped for researchers, students, partners and prospective staff, so each can find what they came for without knowing how you are organised.
Your brand, working on screen
We translate institutional brand guidelines into a digital design system your team can grow, without losing what makes the parent brand recognisable.
How it works
Align on goals and success metrics
We get clear on what the website needs to achieve, who it needs to persuade, and what “good” looks like for your organisation.
Understand your audience and content
We review what you have, what you need, and what your audience is trying to do. Then we shape a plan for content and structure that supports their journey.
Design the experience and interface
We design key pages and patterns with UX and UI working together, so the site feels intuitive, consistent, and on-brand.
Build and refine
We produce the site with care, test across devices, and refine the details that affect clarity, accessibility, and conversion. We might use Webflow for less complex projects or bring in our partner to build the enterprise-level solution you need. We'll guide you to the right decision.
Launch with confidence
We help you go live with a site your team understands and can stand behind, with a foundation that is ready to evolve.
Let's talk about your research website
Tell us who your website needs to reach and what you need them to do, whether that's apply, collaborate or fund. We'll start there.
Our 'why' & promise to you
A website is often your hardest-working team member. It is where people go to understand you, check you are credible, and decide whether it is worth getting in touch.
This work exists to help you show up online with clarity and confidence, with a website that supports your goals and respects your audience’s time.
You’ll get clarity before we touch the visuals
You will not be sold a design style first. We will earn the design through goals, audience needs, and message structure.
You’ll have an experience built around real journeys
You will get a site that guides visitors through the decisions they are trying to make, not a collection of pages that looks nice but feels confusing.
You’ll get craft in the details
You will get a site that feels considered in the small things, from hierarchy and spacing to accessibility and mobile behaviour.
You’ll launch with confidence, not crossed fingers
You will know what is live, why it is live, and how it supports the next phase of growth.
Our full list of Services
Consultancy
& Research
- Competitor research
- Customer journey mapping
- Digital/web strategy
- Usability testing
- User research
- User personas
UI/UX Design
- UI & UX design system
- Information architecture
- Wireframing & prototyping
- User flows & stories
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Accessibility
- Mobile first design
Brand & Design
- Creative direction
- Brand assets creation
- Brand identity system
- Tone of voice
- Brand purpose services
- Brand values
- Print design services
- Design retainers
- Video & motion graphics
- Corporate presentations
- Social asset creation