How to… Build a Project Website

When we began the Powerful Perpetrators project, we knew that the work would be long-term and that it would require a high level of trust from the people engaging with it. With the project expected to run for five years (but content needing to remain for longer), we wanted a space where we could share updates, provide context, and direct people to more information.

Rather than relying solely on formal reports or static outputs, we decided to build our own website. The project lead set up a basic WordPress account to keep the website independent, and established the powerfulperpetrator.org url to begin building.

However, starting from scratch was a daunting task. We did not know how to use WordPress tools beyond the basics; we had to decide whether the full team should be able to edit or just certain members; and we had to figure which WordPress package to opt for, that would be the best value for money. Findings answers to these questions took genuine teamwork and evolved organically, with things becoming clearer as we went through the process.

Building for transparency

One of the key motivations behind the website was transparency. Researching structures of power often means engaging with systems that are, by their nature, opaque. We wanted to counter that, not just in our findings, but in how we worked.

From the beginning, we aimed to make our definitions, scope and assumptions visible, to show the decision-making and rationale that went into the work. On the ‘About’ page, for example, we create drop down question and answers, which provided more detail on our thinking. This approach proved particularly valuable when engaging with regulators and inviting participants for interview. Rather than having to explain everything repeatedly, we could direct people to a space where the project was already contextualised.

At the same time, transparency had to be balanced carefully with ethical and data protection considerations. While our aim was to share as much as possible, we were always mindful of what could be made public and that we needed to ensure the project still met ethics guidelines.

A genuinely collaborative process

The website was developed by a small team of four, and one of the most striking aspects of the process was how genuinely collaborative it became.

Each member brought different perspectives and experiences. For example, we drew on prior work on website design from Emma to shape some of our early design decisions, such as the landing page layout. But decisions were never imposed, they were discussed, tested, and agreed collectively.

Trial and Error

One of our earliest issues was in relation to imagery. Early iterations of the landing page used silhouettes representing professions. While visually striking, the team felt they created a tone that was overly dark and potentially oppressive. That feedback led to a rethink, and we ultimately moved towards more neutral imagery. It was a small but important moment that reflected our broader approach: testing ideas, listening to the feedback, and adapting as needed.

Structuring the website was also difficult at first. Organising pages, tabs, and content took some time, and involved us looking at similar charity and project websites for guidance. After launch, we realised that these decisions actually did not need to be set in stone. As we created new material, we discussed and adapted the structure to accommodate it, with this flexibility becoming an important principle: the website wasn’t a finished product, but one that grew with the project.

Tone was another ongoing challenge. The project deals with serious and sensitive subject matter, and we were conscious of striking the right balance. We wanted to be:

Clear, without being overly academic
Open to feedback, without undermining confidence in the work
Focused on perpetrators, while not excluding victim and witness perspectives

Much of the core content was carefully written to explain the aims and rationale behind the project in detail. Even so, finding the right tone required continual reflection and iteration.

To provide users with an understanding of our data and progress we wanted to develop interactive tools using R and Shiny. This was partly driven by a desire to build technical skills, but also by a belief that users should be able to engage with our work rather than simply read about it. Also, using these open-source tools meant we could avoid additional licensing costs and make the approach more sustainable. However, during prototyping, we realised that we needed to upgrade the WordPress account to ‘Business’ to allow for the easiest integration of these tools on the website via <iframes>. Overall, the cost was still very reasonable and there were additional benefits to the business account, including website analytics, which became valuable later.

After a few months of having the website live, we noticed in the stats that a fairly large proportion of visits (around 2,500 out of 15,000) came from mobile users. This was particularly noticeable at conferences and events, where people would scan QR codes or search for the site during presentations. This insight led us to rethink parts of the design and we put additional effort into ensuring that both the website and the interactive tools were usable on smaller vertical screens, recognising also the importance of first impressions.

An ongoing project

Overall, the Powerful Perpetrators website is not a finished product: it continues to evolve alongside the research itself. We have all found our grooves with elements of the website that we are confident in building and updating, meaning that there is no single member of the team having to manage it all. What began as a need for a central hub for material has become a space for transparency, experimentation, and collaboration. We see these blog posts as an extension of that commitment and an opportunity to share not just what we’ve done, but how we’ve done it.

Ultimately, the site remains an evolving, collaborative space. Thanks for reading, we hope you’ll explore it further and follow the project as it develops.