Role: Lead Designer at Ancient Wisdom Productions
Client: Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source
Project: Brand Refresh, Website Design
Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) came to AWP seeking a redesigned website and updated brand. They were in need of tools to nurture and grow their user community and to convey their standing as a premier synchrotron source. We partnered with CHESS to provide a thoughtfully redesigned and strengthened web presence that reflected the qualities of a national user lab.
“The website is a hit! Thank you all for your amazing work. Everyone at CHESS, including our director and NSF program director, are really pleased with the site.”
-Rick Ryan, Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education
With a grant deadline looming, the CHESS website was developed through an accelerated process. As the Lead Designer, I worked with the project team to develop an updated brand style guide for CHESS and created a modernized site design, while our developer tackled updates to the information architecture and site functionality.
AWP guided the CHESS working group through a detailed discovery process and synthesized knowledge provided by CHESS to ensure that site design and functionality met user needs and organizational aspirations.
We built a new visual identity system for CHESS including updated typography, a vibrant color palette, and a modernized version of the logo.
The final site design uses color, layout, and photography to capture the excitement and vibrancy of the people and science of CHESS. The homepage is constantly refreshed with current news and user stories that demonstrate the exciting opportunities available to users and partners. Visitors feel inspired, engaged, and motivated to become part of the dynamic community of the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source.
CHESS now has a website that showcases projects and technology to funders and potential partners while serving as a one-stop shop for users seeking information about the facility and guidelines for successful experiments. Ongoing research, the CHESS-U upgrade, and other new developments provide plenty of compelling material; AWP provided a cutting-edge, well-organized, easy-to-maintain website where CHESS staff can present the stories and images to bring the science to life.