Stanford University
Brett led this project during his 17-year tenure as Thinkso’s founder and executive creative director.
We created a first-of-its-kind web portal for research powerhouse Stanford University that pulls together all protocols, processes, and policies into a single go-to resource. We named the new website “DoResearch” as both a unifying moniker for Stanford’s many constituents, and as a subtle nod to the department that owned it — the “DoR,” or Dean of Research.
At Stanford, research is a central piece of the university’s identity. For the first time ever, DoResearch established a comprehensive source for all research-related policy and activities across the institution.
The site design incorporates the latest in Drupal web technology and best practices. The treatment of the expandable RSS feed menu and the footer’s clever compartmentalization of more than 50 related offices and systems exemplify this dual focus.
Although the site is primarily utilitarian, we added an element of surprise and discovery by leveraging the large cache of research stories and imagery available. Users who click on the little, intriguing camera icon are treated to a peek behind the scenes.
The backbone of the site is a rigorous content strategy that organizes thousands of pages of content—and makes everything accessible with just a few logical clicks.
