Here’s How We Made People Care About Space Research—Inside ETH Zürich’s Space Website Redesign.
In this article, we’re sharing our insights and lessons learned—how building trust with a client really comes down to one simple thing: listening.
When Thomas Zurbuchen talks about space, he speaks with the clarity of someone who’s spent years exploring it, driven by an eagerness to understand space exploration and the changes our world is facing. After leading NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and steering some of the most ambitious missions in modern space history, he returned to Switzerland with a simple yet radical idea: space isn’t just out there to be admired—it’s meant to be explored and understood.
In the same way children are curious about space, adults need to cultivate that same curiosity. In his own words, “That childish curiosity is something we need to rekindle.” Every meaningful pursuit starts with a question that doesn’t have an answer. What’s exciting is that the unknown doesn’t have to be a barrier—it can be an opportunity for ideas to grow. For Mr. Zurbuchen, this was the spark.
Fostering Creativity Through Leadership and Teamwork
ETH Zürich | Space was born from an idea that felt necessary. For Mr. Zurbuchen, that necessity came with a question: Why isn’t Switzerland doing more in space? The talent is here. The engineering is here. The innovation is here. So, why aren’t we leading missions and preparing our community to shape the future of space? The idea was simple: make space research part of Switzerland. Fast forward to today, ETH Zürich | Space is driving space research and education, positioning Europe at the forefront of exploration while building partnerships in Switzerland and beyond.
But how do you translate that ambition into something people can see, feel, and explore?
The Real Challenge Behind the Project
So, there we were, in the middle of the meeting, ideas bouncing around—full of curiosity, what-ifs, could-bes, and the occasional “wait, hear me out.” The team at ETH Zürich | Space handed us a brief: create a website experience that goes beyond just showcasing their academic excellence or space exploration. It needed to educate, spark curiosity, and embrace simplicity, all while visually reflecting the sense of wonder that space inspires. At the same time, it had to bridge complex scientific research with that universal feeling we all share when we look up and ask, “What’s out there?”
So, the mission was crystal clear (no pun intended)—it had to:
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Inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts, researchers, and innovators.
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Attract top industry partners to fuel collaboration and groundbreaking research.
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Create an interactive hub that connects with students, academics, and the public.
Sure, it sounds simple. But the execution had to do more. So we asked ourselves: how do you capture the wonder of space, research, and education all in one place, in a way that feels personal to each user and sparks curiosity?
We used storytelling as a powerful tool to bring the user’s imagination to life. Through this process, we realized it all comes down to experience—designing something that feels intuitive and, most importantly, makes finding information clear and effortless. The website’s use of interactive storytelling goes beyond simply informing. It transforms complex research topics into something accessible, engaging, and memorable. Creating meaningful digital experiences is about adapting—following the user’s instincts, responding to their habits, and meeting their preferences, whether they’re a scientist, a student, or just someone curious scrolling by.
This approach doesn’t just explain ideas; it turns abstract concepts
into tangible experiences, making them easier to connect with and harder to forget.
“Exploring new space horizons. The Swiss way.”
The Thinking Behind the Doing
ETH Zürich | Space needed a fresh take on their website, a new experience that encouraged people to dig deeper, explore freely, and get immersed in the vastness of it all. It had to motivate students, connect with researchers, industry leaders, and spark the curiosity of anyone eager to discover what lies beyond. The idea was to make exploring the website feel like exploring space itself, to pull people in.
To achieve this, we focused on:
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Designing an intuitive and interactive experience that adapts to user behavior.
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Keeping the platform visually compelling and informative.
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Building a site that serves as both an educational tool and a storytelling platform.
The existing website had plenty to say, packed with content and information, but it felt static. It lacked the interactivity, accessibility, and flexibility needed to keep pace with ETH Zürich’s expanding space research. So, we reimagined it as an interactive hub where users can dive into research projects, explore real-time planetary systems, watch space-related films, discover book and movie recommendations, apply for master’s programs, or simply browse for quick insights—all built for students, industry leaders, and researchers.
A Smarter Way to Explore
When we started thinking about interactive storytelling, it was clear that user-centered design had to be part of it. The two go hand in hand. Personalization should become central, with interactivity designed intentionally, not as an afterthought but as an approach that works for different audiences, making digital spaces feel less static and more responsive. By focusing on how people interact and letting the design adjust to their behavior, we create websites that are not just functional but engaging. When the focus is on user experience and the platform adapts to user behavior, the website feels more engaging and invites deeper interactions.
Flexible, Scalable, and Easy to Manage
The website was designed to be modular and scalable, ensuring long-term flexibility for the ETH Zürich | Space team. A user-friendly CMS empowers the team to update and manage content with ease. To support smooth operations, we provided comprehensive training and detailed documentation, making sure every team member could confidently navigate and edit the platform.
Our post-launch support included regular check-ins, performance monitoring, and ongoing optimizations to keep the platform accessible and aligned with ETH Zürich’s evolving research initiatives.
To achieve this, we focused on:
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Modular CMS for easy, team-based content management.
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SEO-optimized to boost global research visibility.
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Scalable backend to support future technological growth.
Creating a Playful, Interactive Approach
The playful, interactive "Space Station" for kids and teens is a great example of how gamification can spark curiosity and keep younger audiences engaged. Let’s face it—kids get bored quickly, and in an era of shrinking attention spans, so do many of us. Making space science interactive and fun doesn’t just hold attention; it can ignite a long-term interest in space exploration and STEM careers while creating a genuinely enjoyable experience.
Here’s how we approached it: To engage younger audiences, especially in academic or scientific contexts, we focused on gamification, animations, and interactive storytelling—turning learning into an interactive, exciting experience. The "Space Station" for Kids & Teens offers a fun, immersive way to explore space science. Dynamic storytelling and animations break down complex ideas, while gamified elements spark curiosity and make exploration hands-on, not just passive reading. This approach makes complex subjects more accessible and enjoyable, turning learning into an experience that sticks.
To achieve this, we focused on:
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An interactive "Space Station" designed to spark interest in space exploration.
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Animations and motion graphics that bring scientific concepts to life.
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Gamified learning that makes discovery fun and engaging.
Elevating the Visual Identity
ETH Zürich | Space needed a digital presence that matched the boldness and ambition of its mission. We refreshed the visual identity, refining imagery, typography, and color to strike the right balance between sophistication, interactivity, and a modern touch. Real-time planetary data and high-fidelity 3D elements were integrated to add depth and impact, making it interesting to interact. The layout is designed to pull people in, making complex research easy to navigate and engaging to explore.
When it comes to aesthetics, making something visually pleasing is always a plus—after all, people tend to engage with what draws them in, even if they can’t quite explain why. A well-designed website doesn’t need to shout for attention; it holds it quietly, in the way everything feels considered, balanced, and just right. And when you think about it, visual elements are like the tone of voice in a conversation. You can deliver the same sentence—“I’m fine”—and depending on how you say it, it can mean relief, frustration, or sarcasm. The words are identical, but the tone shifts the meaning entirely. That’s what visual elements do on a website. They’re the subtext. The color palette, the typography, the spacing—they all work like inflection points in a conversation, signaling whether the content is serious or playful, urgent or calm, trustworthy or experimental.
Most people don’t consciously notice these cues; they just feel them, the same way you pick up on someone’s mood without them ever saying it out loud. That’s the power of design—not in what it says, but in how it makes you feel before you even realize it.
The refined visual identity gives ETH Zürich | Space has a distinctly futuristic and cutting-edge feel. With interactive content, simple navigation, and a clean design, we built a website that stays current, makes information accessible, and invites people to keep exploring.
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A modern, precise design that mirrors the cutting edge of space research.
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Consistent branding that reinforces ETH Zürich’s identity and spirit of innovation.
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An intuitive layout that invites exploration and keeps users engaged
A Closer Look at Our Creative Process
Close collaboration between the design team TOML™ team and ETH Zürich was key to achieving the project’s goals. Clear communication ensured the platform met both scientific and technical requirements while staying true to the institution’s brand identity and vision.
Here’s what we learned: When working with a client, especially in a specialized field like space research, it’s crucial to draw from their expertise and insights. But also, a trip to the science museum and a deep dive into the space section left V our creative director, buzzing with ideas.
ETH Zürich’s knowledge helped shape a product that not only aligns with their vision but also advances ours as a team. It’s this exchange where scientific expertise meets creative thinking that creates work that feels real, meaningful, and effective. Their expertise and clear direction allowed us to integrate innovative features while maintaining scientific accuracy, resulting in a seamless, engaging, and future-ready platform.
While integrating innovative features was necessary, we had to ensure scientific accuracy. It was a challenge, but through close collaboration with ETH Zürich’s team, we maintained the content’s scientific integrity while making it accessible to a broader audience—crucial for such a prestigious institution Striking the right balance between innovation and accuracy is essential for educational and research-driven platforms. Scientific content must be precise, yet presented in an engaging, accessible way to ensure it’s both trustworthy and captivating.
And honestly, there’s nothing better than hearing that our partners and clients are happy with the outcome. 😊
"We approached TOML in the process of finding an agency to help us redesign our website for ETH Zürich I Space. Our entity has not been around for too long and thus far we had a very basic and simple website. We briefed different agencies but were absolutely convinced of wanting to work with TOML right after the briefing call, as they made a very motivated, interested and professional impression on us. The process of working with TOML and the result confirmed our initial impression: the team demonstrated a very high level of creativity, motivation, flexibility, customer-orientation and a very keen eye and ear on our wishes and requirements. Throughout the process they were always accessible and always accommodated our requests and feedback/input. They took the time to understand our vision and goals, delivering an innovative, user-friendly website that truly reflects our values and engages our audience. The design is sleek, modern, intuitive and very much true to the topic of "space". We thank TOML for the great collaboration and commitment to bringing our digital presence to the next level. We highly recommend the team!"
Ina Schultz — Head of Marketing, Communications, Events.
Written by Debora Deva
About the Author
Debbie is a writer, art director, and multidisciplinary creative at TOML Collective. With a background in advertising, she brings fresh perspectives to the journal — aiming to educate, question, and spark new ideas.
Get in touch with debora@tomlcollective.com