Designing the bilingual institutional platform for EM² Data & AI Lab

Overview

From identity shift to public platform

Between January and June 2026, I designed and developed the bilingual institutional platform for EM² Data & AI Lab, from initial framing through production deployment.

The project supported the transition from CaSEG to a broader organization covering statistics, data engineering, economic intelligence, management and governance, and the development of analytical products.

The objective was not merely to build a new website. It was to translate an initially under-structured vision into a coherent digital identity, a readable service offering and a platform capable of supporting the firm’s future development.

Initial situation

A previous web presence had reached its limits

CaSEG previously had a website built with Google Sites in 2021. At the time, the solution appeared satisfactory, particularly because of our limited experience in web development and digital strategy.

After completing development and professional foundations training with ALX, I reassessed that initial digital presence. The existing website then appeared limited in several respects: weak institutional positioning, insufficiently distinctive visual identity, difficulty structuring the service offering, limited capacity for evolution, an architecture poorly suited to bilingual content, and limited technical and editorial control.

This assessment led to a complete redesign rather than an incremental improvement of the former website.

Problem

Making a complex offer legible

How could a complex multidisciplinary offering be transformed into a clear, credible and bilingual institutional platform that remained flexible enough to support new services, training programmes and publications?

The project also had to make the continuity between CaSEG and EM² Data & AI Lab visible without creating an artificial break with the initiative’s history.

Role and responsibilities

Product design, content and frontend delivery

I independently designed and delivered the project, using Claude Code as a development assistant.

My responsibilities covered needs analysis, product strategy, digital identity repositioning, information architecture, division structure, service and training design, content writing, French-English translation, art direction, UX/UI, frontend development, responsive optimization, technical SEO, domain configuration, deployment and quality assurance.

The other EM² members acted as internal stakeholders and provided feedback.

Organizational design

A three-division structure

The three-division structure reflects the organization’s three main professional profiles: Statistics and Data Engineering, Economic Intelligence, and Management and Governance.

The platform had to make this structure immediately understandable while maintaining a unified user experience.

Service design

Formalizing the offer while building the interface

The services, training programmes, intervention categories and institutional messages had not yet been formalized.

The project therefore included defining areas of intervention, organizing services, designing training programmes, clarifying target audiences, establishing information hierarchy, writing institutional content and adapting it for both languages.

The platform became both a communication channel and a tool for formalizing EM²’s offering.

Information architecture

Bilingual paths for several audiences

The architecture was designed for public institutions, development partners, financial organizations, businesses, researchers, professionals and students seeking training.

The navigation had to provide quick access to divisions, services, training programmes, the organizational profile and contact channels. French-English bilingualism was incorporated from the start.

Visual system

Institutional depth, clarity and distinction

The visual identity is based on dark blue to convey credibility, depth and an institutional character; gold as an accent associated with value and distinction; and white to preserve clarity and visual breathing space.

The system was applied across typography, buttons, service cards, divisions, navigation, interaction states, and mobile and desktop layouts.

Technical choices

A scalable Next.js foundation

The platform uses Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Vercel and Hostinger.

Next.js provides an architecture that can evolve toward publications, training resources and potential interactive services. No CMS, business backend or database system has yet been integrated.

Constraints

Domain setup and content availability

Two constraints had a particularly strong influence on the project: hosting and domain configuration, with the application deployment and domain managed separately; and content availability, as the core editorial materials did not yet exist in a publishable form.

The organizational structure, services, training programmes, institutional messages, bilingual content and their interface representation therefore had to be designed in parallel.

AI-assisted development

Claude Code as development assistant

Claude Code was used as a development assistant to accelerate selected production, exploration and correction tasks.

Decisions concerning positioning, content, architecture, design, functionality and final validation remained under my responsibility.

Outcome

A public institutional platform for EM²

The project delivered a bilingual institutional platform presenting the new EM² Data & AI Lab identity, the three divisions, the main service areas, training offerings, institutional positioning, contact pathways and an architecture prepared for future content.

The platform is now EM² Data & AI Lab’s primary public digital presence.

Limits and next steps

Prepared for future product growth

The platform can evolve with an editorial publishing system, more advanced training management, backend-connected forms, a database, workflow automation, a resource center and interactive analytical products.

Technologies

Stack and production environment

Next.js · TypeScript · Tailwind CSS · Vercel · Hostinger · Claude Code