Translating scientific excellence into digital clarity
Created for Erasmus MC As part of ROX
The Genomics Core Facility at Erasmus MC was born from a merger: two specialized research departments combining expertise, equipment, and ambition. But their digital presence? Still fragmented, outdated, and unable to reflect the unified entity they'd become.
They needed one modern platform that could handle complex content, serve diverse audiences (universities, clinical institutes, businesses), and give their team the freedom to evolve it independently. The challenge wasn't just visual: it was structural, strategic, and deeply collaborative with a client team that didn't always agree.
Through three design explorations, strategic feedback management, and a disciplined development process, we built a site that prioritizes expertise over spectacle and autonomy over dependency.
Born from the merger of the Human Genomics Facility and the Center for Biomics, the Genomics Core Facility (CoFa) plays a central role in genomics research and biomolecular analysis at Erasmus MC. They provide universities, clinical institutes, and businesses access to advanced equipment and specialized expertise for cutting-edge research.
Discover Erasmus MCROX is a digital agency located in Rotterdam that specializes in helping companies with their digital growth. Through a combination of strategic advice, polished designs and custom software development, they create web applications that are future-proof, scalable and improve work efficiency.
Discover ROXI was involved from strategy through to launch, leading design during discovery, wireframing, and visual design, then shifting into full front-end development with two other developers. I built the component system in Statamic, implemented the design, and established code standards and linting to maintain quality throughout the build.
Multiple design explorations and a disciplined build process led to a successful launch. After design was finalized, the site was built and launched in three weeks.
Where research meets reality.
The Genomics Core Facility doesn't just support research. They enable it. With cutting-edge technology and decades of expertise, CoFa provides the tools and knowledge that universities, clinical institutes, and businesses need to push the boundaries of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and beyond.
They're not chasing clients. Their reputation and network speak for themselves. But presence matters. Researchers need to find them. Partners need to understand what they offer. And the institution needs a digital home that reflects the caliber of work happening within it. A platform built for expertise, knowledge-sharing, and professional credibility, not conversion.
Where competing voices met disciplined process.
We've investigated the brief and this will be a straightforward CMS website.
👍🏻 Great!
Although we're part of Erasmus MC, the Genomics department is a bit different. We do stand for the Erasmus quality, but we aren't a direct part of the hospital. For example, we're mostly focused on the international stage.
Good to know. Let's create a visual identity that refers to Erasmus, but works as a stand-alone as well.
We've discussed internally and decided not to focus on accessibility. We'd rather focus our budget on other aspects.
Understandable, however I'd like to push back a little. I propose we keep best practices in mind that won't affect budget too much.
Standards built through discovery.
A merger of two departments into one unified presence. A client team with competing visions. A need for content flexibility and long-term autonomy. As we worked through the discovery phase, the criteria emerged naturally, setting a clear standard for what good design meant in this context.
From one project to agency standard.
Built and launched in 3 weeks after design was finalized. A disciplined process and clear boundaries made fast execution possible.
CoFa finally had the unified digital presence their merged expertise deserved, with the autonomy to evolve it on their own.
The structured development approach (fully finished demos, feedback lists, risk mitigation) became ROX's new standard for future projects.
