Building Authority Through Strategic Content Curation

ASAPbio is a scientist-driven nonprofit that promotes innovation and transparency in life science communication, particularly through preprints and open peer review.

Founded in 2015, they work to accelerate scientific discovery by challenging traditional scholarly publishing practices and building a more open, collaborative research ecosystem.

However, their website had become overwhelmed with content and lacked the cohesive professional identity needed to effectively serve their growing global scientific community.

THE CHALLENGE

When Content Volume Overwhelms Value

ASAPbio faced a digital organization crisis that threatened their ability to effectively serve their scientific community. Their WordPress site had accumulated over 350 pages and blog posts over the years, creating an overwhelming content landscape where valuable resources were buried and difficult to find.

The messy site architecture meant pages and posts were miscategorized, making navigation frustrating for researchers seeking specific information about preprints, peer review, or open science practices.

The generic WordPress template and scattered brand presentation failed to reflect the sophisticated, evidence-driven approach that defined their scientific mission. Without visual cohesion or a clear identity system, the site looked more like an academic blog than the authoritative resource center it had become for the global life sciences community.

This disconnect between their important work and their digital presentation undermined their credibility and made it harder for scientists to trust and engage with their resources.

Key challenges included:

Outdated and generic WordPress template that lacked professional polish
Overwhelming content volume with over 500 pages and posts that buried valuable resources
Messy site architecture with miscategorized pages and posts making navigation difficult
Generic branding without visual cohesion or professional identity
Lack of effective content organization for their diverse scientific community
No systematic way for users to find and filter relevant research resources

CORE QUESTIONS

What We Set Out to Solve

The core questions we tackled for this project included:

How do you transform an overwhelming content repository into an organized, authoritative resource center that serves a global scientific community?

How can you create a cohesive brand identity that reflects the rigor and innovation of cutting-edge research communication?

Our Process

Organizing Knowledge for Global Impact

Our work began with the Nonprofit Beacon assessment to understand ASAPbio’s unique position in the scientific publishing landscape and identify how their diverse audiences — from early-career researchers to established scientists to funding agencies — interacted with their extensive content library. These strategic sessions revealed the critical need to balance comprehensive resource availability with user-friendly navigation for busy researchers.

Our approach began with a comprehensive content audit to understand the full scope of ASAPbio’s extensive resource library. We worked closely with their team to identify which content provided the most value to their scientific community and which pages maintained the highest SEO value for important research topics. This curation process was critical to transforming their overwhelming content volume into a streamlined, useful resource.

We developed a strengthened visual identity system that included custom icons, expanded color options within their existing palette, and typography that reflected their logo design. The new information architecture prioritized user needs, creating clear pathways for different types of scientists to find relevant resources quickly and efficiently.

Outcomes

Knowledge Organized, Impact Amplified

The transformed website successfully positions ASAPbio as the authoritative hub for open science communication they’ve become.

Through careful content curation, we reduced over 500 pages and posts to the most valuable resources while maintaining SEO equity for critical research topics. A new searchable resource library with filters and tags allows scientists to quickly find relevant information about preprints, peer review innovations, and open science practices.

The strengthened brand identity creates visual cohesion throughout the site with custom iconography, expanded color applications, and typography that reflects their scientific rigor. Clear site architecture now guides different user types — from early-career researchers to established scientists to funding agencies — to the resources most relevant to their needs.

ASAPbio now has a digital presence that matches their reputation as leaders in transforming scientific communication.

CONCLUSION

Reinvigorated Brand + Curated Content = A Useful Resource for All

ASAPbio transformed from an overwhelming, generic website into a streamlined, authoritative resource center that effectively serves the global scientific community working to advance open science communication.

Ready to organize your complex content into a user-friendly resource that reflects your expertise? Book a call with us to explore how strategic content curation and design can amplify your organization’s impact.

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