Services
Digital Strategy
UX/UI Design
Experience Design + Development
Instellix
Zoonomia is an international research effort led by the Broad Institute, founded by Harvard and MIT, decoding the genomes of hundreds of mammalian species to better understand evolution, disease, and the biological systems that connect all life.
Zoonomia
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The Challenge
Zoonomia required a digital presence that could support two distinct yet connected audiences: professional researchers needing fast access to large datasets, and curious learners seeking discovery through interactive tools. The platform had to present complex scientific information clearly and intuitively, while making advanced genomic data navigable and engaging for users of varying expertise.
Digital Strategy + UX/UI
Our strategic approach began by mapping the needs of two core user groups: scientists and citizen scientists. We explored how each would engage with the data, from high-level project overviews to deep dives into species-specific information. These insights informed the site’s content structure, interaction patterns, and overall experience design.
The platform functions as both a scientific database and a space for discovery, bringing together academic research and public exploration through a unified digital experience. The name Zoonomia reflects this dual mission. A combination of the Greek terms for “animal” and “governing laws,” it encapsulates the project’s goal to uncover the principles behind mammalian diversity. It also nods to the writings of Erasmus Darwin, grounding the work in both science and history. User experience design focused on clarity, efficiency, and seamless interaction with complex datasets. Navigation structures were designed to help users move easily between high‑level overviews and detailed genomic information. Interface elements were crafted to reduce cognitive load, guiding users toward relevant data and insights. Visual hierarchy, typography, and layout were optimized for readability and quick scanning across both desktop and tablet screens.
Digital Strategy + UX/UI
Our strategic approach began by mapping the needs of two core user groups: scientists and citizen scientists. We explored how each would engage with the data, from high-level project overviews to deep dives into species-specific information. These insights informed the site’s content structure, interaction patterns, and overall experience design.
The platform functions as both a scientific database and a space for discovery, bringing together academic research and public exploration through a unified digital experience. The name Zoonomia reflects this dual mission. A combination of the Greek terms for “animal” and “governing laws,” it encapsulates the project’s goal to uncover the principles behind mammalian diversity. It also nods to the writings of Erasmus Darwin, grounding the work in both science and history. User experience design focused on clarity, efficiency, and seamless interaction with complex datasets. Navigation structures were designed to help users move easily between high‑level overviews and detailed genomic information. Interface elements were crafted to reduce cognitive load, guiding users toward relevant data and insights. Visual hierarchy, typography, and layout were optimized for readability and quick scanning across both desktop and tablet screens.
Experience Design
The experience design and development phase brought the digital strategy and UX/UI work to life. A key interactive feature of the platform is the Mammalian Tree, an exploration tool comprising 240 mammalian species. Users can interact with the tree, filter by metrics using color delineation, and dive directly into species‑specific genomic data. Creative coding techniques were used to animate key visual elements, particularly on the landing page, where motion helps first‑time visitors understand the project’s scope and significance at a glance.
Development focused on performance, accessibility, and scalability, ensuring that researchers could quickly retrieve large datasets while maintaining responsive interactive features for broader audiences.
The Results
The Zoonomia experience translated an exceptionally complex scientific dataset into a clear, engaging, and navigable digital platform, making cutting-edge genomic research accessible to a broad audience. Through a carefully structured information architecture and a highly visual interface, the design transformed dense comparative data into intuitive pathways, allowing users to explore relationships across species, traits, and evolutionary timelines without requiring deep scientific expertise. Motion, scale, and interactive storytelling were used to mirror the vastness of the dataset while maintaining clarity and focus, reinforcing A360Z’s principle that complexity, when designed well, becomes a tool for understanding rather than a barrier.
The result was a digital experience that not only supported the scientific mission of the Broad Institute but amplified its reach and impact. By aligning design, narrative, and technology, the platform brought the Zoonomia Project to life as both a research resource and a public-facing educational tool, enabling discovery, exploration, and engagement at multiple levels—from academic users to curious general audiences.
