Challenge
How do you build a website that speaks to scientists, public officials, private companies, and everyday citizens, all at once?
The SEED-FD project (Strengthening Extreme Events Detection for Floods and Droughts) is part of Horizon Europe’s research effort to enhance global prediction of hydrological extremes. Its technical and scientific goals are ambitious: refining hydrological models, integrating satellite and micro-sensor data, and developing AI tools to improve the Copernicus Emergency Management System (CEMS). However, the project’s success also relies on how well it communicates its results to multiple audiences, from climate researchers to rural communities vulnerable to floods.
Design & Data was tasked with designing and developing a core communication tool: the project’s official website. This platform needed to serve as both a knowledge hub and an engagement point, providing access to publications, videos, learning resources, datasets, and insights into new early-warning tools developed within SEED-FD. It had to do all this while remaining secure, responsive, and easy to maintain.
Idea, solution
To meet these needs, the SEED-FD website was designed with a dual focus: clarity for non-experts and depth for professionals. The solution centred on a static website architecture: a lightweight, serverless setup that requires no back-end scripting or CMS infrastructure.
A multi-layered content structure to serve the project’s four key audience groups was implemented:
- Scientific experts can access rich datasets, publications, model documentation, and technical updates.
- Professional users, such as consultants, application developers, and industry intermediaries, can explore story maps, demo cases, and forecasting tools that support applied use.
- Public authorities and NGOs benefit from accessible content that supports climate adaptation strategies and policy implementation.
- Interested citizens and communities encounter plain-language explanations, engaging visuals, and interactive resources that help them understand the project’s real-world impact.
The website’s architecture ensures barrier-free access to most content (only high-level datasets and simulations require registration). This open-science approach reflects the project’s commitment to transparency and global usability.
To increase visibility, the site is tightly integrated with SEED-FD’s broader communication ecosystem, linking to LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and a newsletter subscription service. The website also serves as a publishing platform, featuring regular news updates and learning materials created by Design & Data in close collaboration with project partners.
Result
A lightning-fast, ultra-secure platform—nearly impossible to hack and fully compliant with stringent public sector IT standards. The SEED-FD website delivers a fast and audience-sensitive communication platform. Making the project relevant to the real world, it highlights concrete outcomes like flood prediction models, drought tracking tools, and real-time data micro-stations.
The site strikes a rare balance between transparency and discretion by enabling open access to results while respecting the scientific community’s need for careful framing.
It’s more than just a website. It’s a public face of impact that helps show the world how cutting-edge climate science can save lives.
Explore the SEED-FD Website here: https://www.seed-fd.eu
