The challenge
The University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics team needed a website that could make sense of complex, global research on ocean plastic pollution policies. Their goal was to build a centralised, accessible resource for policymakers, researchers, industry, and the public—something that could present a huge amount of content without overwhelming users.
Project Snapshot
| Client Type: | Direct Business |
| Working together since: | 2024 |
| Tech: | WordPress, ACF Flexible Content, FacetWP |
The work
The brief evolved significantly over time, requiring a flexible, modular approach and careful adherence to the university’s brand guidelines. Our role was to take this structured but technical content and translate it into something intuitive, digestible, and impactful.
Working within strict brand guidelines
The University of Portsmouth supplied detailed brand guidelines which we needed to follow exactly. This included fonts, colour schemes, and accessibility requirements that helped shape a consistent and professional design system from the outset.
Phase 1: Website design & build
The first phase focused on UX planning, wireframes, and a custom WordPress build that would support flexible, data-heavy content. We developed a modular content system using ACF and Gutenberg, paired with FacetWP to power advanced filtering across key sections like policies and guidance documents. The site launched in April 2022.
Phase 2: Policy Report design
Following the website launch, we designed a comprehensive 110-page PDF report for the Global Plastics Policy Centre. Built in InDesign, the report took the findings from the academic study and presented them in a visually engaging, accessible format ready for global distribution. This PDF complemented the online experience but was created as a standalone, downloadable resource.
Phase 3: Plastic Treaty interactive timeline
In 2023, we launched a major new section of the site: the Global Plastics Treaty timeline. This fully interactive timeline guides users through the development of the global plastics treaty, blending research, storytelling, and visual cues in a scrollable, dynamic format. It’s a standout feature that brings the project’s broader narrative to life.
The result
Since launching, the Global Plastics Policy Centre has become a valuable resource for international researchers, NGOs, and government bodies. The flexible content structure has allowed the team to grow the site over time, adding new sections and filtering tools without compromising accessibility or clarity.
The project’s multi-phase nature also meant we could deliver standalone outputs (like the policy report) while continuing to evolve the digital experience for users.
What they said
- Antaya March, GPPC“Jo recently developed a very beautiful, highly functional website for us at the Global Plastics Policy Centre, and we will be keeping her on to do further work with us because the product is fantastic! She has been incredibly accommodating and patient with our innumerable requests and has incorporated every element of design and functionality that we’ve asked for. The whole project has been such an easy process and everything delivered in a timely manner. Highly recommend using Jo for your web needs!”