Simons Foundation

Making the frontiers of math and science easier to explore.

The Simons Foundation supports some of the world’s most ambitious research, from the mysteries of the universe to the mechanisms of the human brain. But its digital presence had grown into a sprawling collection of disconnected websites, content, and systems. We partnered with the foundation to bring it all together. The new website makes its research easier to explore, connects work across disciplines, and gives its teams better tools to publish and manage content.

What We Did

  • Research & digital strategy
  • UX & information architecture
  • Digital art direction & design
  • Design system development
  • AI-assisted editorial tooling
  • CMS engineering
  • Content migration

What We Made

  • simonsfoundation.org
  • A unified digital ecosystem
  • An AI-enabled design system
  • A custom WordPress CMS
  • Algolia-powered search
  • Publication and job integrations
A smartphone displaying the Simons Foundation website, featuring the Flatiron Institute’s Computational Astrophysics page with an image of a cosmic simulation.
Simons Foundation website homepage displaying a featured article titled “Experiment Reveals Quantum Tug-of-War Limiting Higher-Temperature Superconductivity.”
A search modal displaying results for “black holes,” including a lecture on building a black hole, a conference on black holes and gravity, and articles about black hole discoveries.

One foundation, one digital ecosystem

The Simons Foundation spans disciplines, research centers, and programs, each with its own audiences and priorities. We brought them together under one website without losing what makes each distinct. A shared information architecture and content taxonomy unites people, publications, projects, funding, and research across the foundation, so visitors can explore the science without needing to understand how the organization is structured.

A digital identity as ambitious as the science

We brought the foundation’s refreshed visual identity to life on the web, pairing bold typography with scientific imagery, motion, and a flexible system of layouts and components. The result feels unmistakably Simons, whether you’re reading a story about black holes, exploring research in computational biology, or looking for a grant.

A person sitting at a desk with two computer monitors displaying code, with text above reading “I’m interested in software or scientific computing” and “Computing Internships.”
Simons Foundation website showing a list of open funding opportunities in mathematics, sciences, and neuroscience, with filters for research sections, award programs, and years.

From finding a page to discovering a connection

With so much research and content spread across the foundation, search needed to do more than return a list of pages. We built an Algolia-powered search experience that helps visitors find people, funding, research, events, and resources in one place. The shared taxonomy connects content across disciplines, and then contextual search and filters help people narrow in on what they need.

I appreciate the transparency and collaborative spirit that the Upstatement team brings. There are easier approaches to take on client projects like this, yet you all make it WORK, like, really really well.

A smiling woman looking at the camera.
Ariana French Director of Digital Technology, Simons Foundation

Meet Atlas, a design system you can talk to

Most design systems tell you what components exist. Atlas helps you actually use them. We built an AI-powered assistant into the foundation’s design system, giving editors and developers a new way to work. Atlas answers questions about components and site behavior, helps scaffold pages, and reviews drafts against established patterns. It even works within WordPress, providing guidance in the context of the content someone is editing. Instead of expecting every contributor to become a design system expert, we made the expertise accessible when and where they need it.

A website content editor interface displaying a text block being edited on the left and an “Add Block” menu on the right.

We made WordPress work harder

We customized WordPress to meet the needs of a large scientific organization with many teams and content types. Structured content models, reusable blocks, and carefully designed editorial tools make it easier to publish everything from news and researcher profiles to funding opportunities and publications. We also built tools to import scientific publications and sync job listings automatically, reducing the manual work required to keep the site current.

  • 20,978
    Migrated Posts
  • 130k+
    Lines of Code
  • 1,069
    WordPress Fields
  • 33
    Modular Blocks
A laptop on a wooden desk displaying the Simons Foundation website homepage featuring an article titled “Black Holes: Understanding the Universe’s Most Extreme Objects.”

One connected library

We migrated thousands of posts from previously separate websites into a shared content structure. But this was more than a migration. By relating people, research, publications, and programs through consistent metadata and the common taxonomy, we made it possible for content to appear in relevant places throughout the site. Older research and stories can continue to reach new audiences long after publication.

A collage of nine website landing pages for various divisions of the Simons Foundation, each featuring a specific research focus, navigation menu, and links.
A circular graphic design featuring concentric rings of white vertical dashes radiating from the center against a dark navy background, set on a yellow square.

Built to evolve, not just launch

We designed the platform so the Simons Foundation can keep building on it. The shared design system, structured content, automated integrations, and AI-assisted tools give teams a consistent starting point for new pages, programs, and experiences. As the foundation grows, the website can grow with it, without requiring every new idea to become a custom development project.

Event poster for “A Universe of Grief In Conversation” on November 20, 2026, listing four speakers and the Science magazine logo, placed on a desk with a Rubik’s cube, wooden puzzles, and a plant.
Simons Foundation event page for “A Universe of Grief In Conversation” on November 20, 2026, listing speakers, event timing, and location details at the Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium.

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