Case study
Sutura Therapeutics
An investor-grade biotech site, built collaboratively with the science team.
Biotech · 2023 · Brand collaboration, site build, ongoing comms · Squarespace · custom CSS · accessibility widget
The brief
The project entailed a comprehensive website overhaul for the biotech startup Sutura Therapeutics. The primary objective was to authentically echo the firm's values, showcase their specialised work, and effectively communicate their mission to potential investors and stakeholders.
Investor-facing biotech sites have to do a difficult thing simultaneously: feel scientifically rigorous and commercially confident, without falling into either jargon or hype. The team needed something that reflected the seriousness of the work without putting up a wall.
Brand collaboration with Apollo Creative
Sophie's Bureau was entrusted with this project, commencing with the engagement of Apollo Creative for the design of a distinct logo and colour scheme. The collaboration evolved into a hands-on role in the website's design and construction. The responsibility encompassed arranging team photoshoots, curating fitting images, strategising page layouts, and refining the website content in collaboration with the science team.
Operating as a virtual assistant for the team gave Sutura the flexibility to make modifications freely and economically — something that wouldn't have been possible with a traditional agency holding sole control of the design.
Custom features
Incorporated key features include a custom-coded rotating banner text overlaid on a static image that keeps visitors updated about the company's latest news. A dedicated careers page handles open positions. An accessibility widget caters to and enhances visitors' accessibility requirements — important for a public-facing biotech reaching a wide range of audiences.
The full homepage
An ongoing relationship
What made this project work, beyond the design itself, was the operating model. Operating as a virtual assistant for the team meant Sutura could make modifications freely and economically — something that wouldn't have been possible with a traditional web design agency holding sole control of the site.
What I'd take from this
For a small startup with a complex story to tell, the right structure is rarely "agency builds, then leaves." It's a long-running partnership that lets the site evolve as the company does. The site you launch is never the site you need a year later.