Website & Branding Modernization

Redefined the digital strategy and modernized the online presence at ARPA-E, the disruption wing of the US Department of Energy

About the Project

The Challenge

At the start of this project, ARPA-E was tasked with the creation of a new, modern brand that better accompanied the groundbreaking work they do at the agency. The brand launch would accompany a new website that was easier to use, more streamlined, and secure.

The Process

We started the process with a series of UX interviews and research. Using the input from employees, fellows, the public, and stakeholders in the scientific community we got to work rebuilding the website architecture. I conducted a thorough audit of their content, walked through the process of deciding what to keep and consolidate, and developed a streamlined content strategy based on our end-to-end user research.

The Result

In early 2025 ARPA-E unveiled their new, modern website. Featuring the new branding and built securely in a more up-to-date version of Drupal, the website focused on accessibility, efficiency, and the ability to scale as they add new content. I created a new style guide to streamline their posts from multiple authors, and checklists to ensure new content was optimized for search engines. The result was a notable uptick in site usage with a 38% increase in page views.

Deliverables

Created in 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), was a solution to the National Academies’ 2006 report Rising Above the Gathering Storm. In the time of great uncertainty in the shadows of 9/11, this report outlined a foreboding loss of U.S. advantages in science and technology and called for decisive action from lawmakers.
After receiving charter funding in 2009, ARPA-E set out to transform the global energy landscape by supporting pioneers in new energy technologies. Thirteen years and $3.76 billion in R&D funding later, ARPA-E sought to update its identity to reflect the shift from its reactive founding to its proactive, future-oriented leadership in the global energy space.
The new ARPA-E brand identity represents the agency’s forward momentum and positive outlook on the global energy sector. A new, streamlined typeface brings it into the modern era, while also symbolizing ARPA-E’s transition from start-up agency to pioneering and influential industry expert.
A major part of the ARPA-E branding, the “e,” is now more dynamic. The new “E Turbine” represents progress and movement, while also offering a nod to the very beginnings of energy generation. The logo signifies ARPA-E’s commitment to boldly crafting new pathways in service of a brighter, more efficient future.
• Comprehensive site map with a color-coded information architecture system.
• Audit spreadsheet that accounted for every page of the site with analytics data for each URL to help make informed decisions.
I left ARPA-E with tools to maintain their new, streamlined content. This included:
- A new style guide they could build upon
- A search engine optimization (SEO) checklist
- A new content strategy

The ARPA-E website before the modernization project

An internal page on the previous version of the ARPA-E website

The new internal page template on ARPA-E's website