Science, beautifully surfaced

We built a custom WordPress site for a UTAS research group doing world-class marine work - designed to feel as immersive as the ocean floor they study.

Results

What changed.

Fully custom-built on WordPress

Built from the ground up using Elementor, GSAP animations, and custom code

Publication-ready, filterable archive

Advanced blog and resource filtering allows the group to categorise and share research

Designed to feel like the sea

Animations and visual design were crafted to subtly mimic underwater movement

The client

About Shelf Ecology Research Group.

The Shelf Ecology Research Group, based at the University of Tasmania, is dedicated to exploring and documenting life on Australia’s continental shelf. Their work supports marine conservation, government policy, and public understanding of our deepwater ecosystems.

With no brand, no site, and no roadmap, the group came to us needing a digital home that could do it all: communicate complex science, house a large and growing collection of research, and reflect the beauty of the marine world they study.

The brief

The project

The Shelf Ecology Research Group needed a digital platform that could accurately reflect the depth and complexity of their marine research. With no existing branding or site structure, they were looking for a partner to help shape everything - from visual identity to content architecture. The site needed to clearly communicate their mission, store and categorise a growing body of publications, and serve both academic and general audiences. We approached it like any great research expedition: with structure, precision, and a sense of wonder.

No existing branding, visual identity, or content hierarchy
Complex scientific messaging that needed to be accessible without being oversimplified
Requirement for advanced blog and research archive filtering
Desire for subtle, immersive motion that visually echoed the marine environments they study

The approach

How it came together.

Strategic storytelling through design and layout

We structured the site to tell the story of the group’s mission clearly and powerfully - from their purpose and partners to the impact of their research. Language was tightened, visuals were chosen with care, and the site’s hierarchy was crafted to balance public readability with academic depth.

Advanced content architecture and publication filtering

A flexible blog and archive system was built to categorise years of research, allowing filters by topic, project, and publication type. It was built to grow with the group, not just store PDFs.

Interactive animation and ocean-inspired motion

Using GSAP and custom animations, we introduced motion that subtly evoked being underwater - fluid transitions, smooth scrolls, and ambient visual effects that elevated the site experience without distracting from the content.

The work