## Introduction
I designed and developed the website for CUBE, a future lab for cooperative policy-making in the Lake Constance four-country region. Because the project sits between science, policy, administration, and public dialogue, the website had to do more than present information. It needed to communicate trust, explain a complex mission clearly, and give visitors practical ways to engage with the project.
## Purpose
The site introduces CUBE's mission and explains how the initiative works across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It presents a set of formats ranging from Policy Labs and Policy Briefs to Briefings, public Forums, and Scientific Input. Beyond the informational layer, the website also helps people take action: visitors can explore the available formats, find the one that fits their situation, and start shaping their own project through guided checklists and supporting resources.
## Design Philosophy
My goal was to create a website that feels institutional and trustworthy without becoming dry or static. The design is clean, spacious, and durable, but it also has a certain energy that reflects CUBE's role as a future-oriented platform. Even small interactive details, like the animated homepage, help give the site character without getting in the way of clarity.
A big part of the concept was modularity. I built the site around reusable, CMS-driven sections so content can be updated, expanded, or rearranged without rebuilding the whole website. That makes the platform stable in the long term while still flexible enough to evolve with the project.
## Functionality
What makes this project especially interesting is that it goes beyond a classic brochure website. Each format has its own detailed page with context, structured information, and related tools. On top of that, the format finder guides users through a short decision flow to recommend the most suitable format for their needs.
The checklist flow takes this one step further by helping users define their goals, save progress, and generate PDFs for the next stage of the process. Together with downloadable materials and resource links, the site becomes a lightweight digital product that actively supports collaboration instead of just describing it.
## Technical Approach
The project is built with Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind, and a headless CMS setup. This gave me the best of both worlds: flexible editorial content management on one side, and custom interactive functionality on the other. I structured the frontend as a reusable component system so that sections, cards, testimonials, calls to action, and interactive tools all work together consistently across the site.
For me, this project was about translating a complex institutional initiative into a digital experience that feels accessible, useful, and built to last.