Home > Case studies > The Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine
The Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine
A future-focused platform for the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, built to drive systemic change in how sex and gender are considered in research, education, and clinical care. From a custom Gutenberg block system to a frictionless expert directory, Marameo delivered a high-performance, editorially empowered site that continues to grow through an ongoing strategic partnership.
The Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine is pioneering a transformative shift in how health research, clinical care, education, and policy are approached in Australia. Their mission is to ensure that sex and gender diversity is not just acknowledged but embedded into the very systems that shape healthcare outcomes. Backed by The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW’s Australian Human Rights Institute, and Deakin University, the Centre is actively working to close a long-standing equity gap in medicine.
The Centre was referred to Marameo Design by a trusted contact. They were looking for a digital partner capable of matching the complexity of their mission with strategic and scalable design. Our goal was to build a platform that could showcase their vital work, support institutional collaboration, and facilitate contributor engagement. At the same time, the platform needed to establish a digital presence grounded in trust and authority.
Key challenges
From the outset, the Centre’s mission presented a unique digital challenge. They needed to communicate complex, systemic issues in health and medicine while also providing tools for collaboration, education, and outreach. This includes:
Creating a flexible content architecture to support frequent updates and diverse publication formats, without compromising on design or editorial control.
Designing an expert directory that would allow contributors, many of whom do not have accounts, to safely and easily manage their profiles.
Ensuring the site’s performance and accessibility could scale alongside the Centre’s growing influence and body of work.
Reaching a variety of target audiences, from policymakers to researchers and educators, each requiring tailored user journeys and messaging.
Honouring the weight and significance of the Centre’s mission. Their work aims to drive real-world change for future generations of women and gender-diverse people in healthcare.
These needs were not just technical. They were central to a much broader conversation about equity, visibility, and systemic inclusion. A successful digital platform would help the Centre advocate for change more effectively.
Our approach
At Marameo Design, we don’t just build websites. We create digital ecosystems that reflect the nuance, ambition, and complexity of the organisations we partner with. For this project, that meant going beyond surface-level design and building systems that could directly support the Centre’s day-to-day operations and long-term goals.
Our process was collaborative, research-driven, and user-focused. Specifically, we:
Conducted in-depth discovery workshops to understand the goals of each stakeholder group, from researchers to editorial staff.
Prototyped user journeys for contributors, educators, policymakers, and the public.
Prioritised accessibility and inclusive design principles from the beginning.
Built a scalable design system that could evolve alongside the Centre’s growing impact.
The result was a platform that became an extension of the Centre’s advocacy, outreach, and operations.
Key strategies
The digital strategy behind this project was guided by a central principle: empower the organisation, reduce friction, and communicate clearly. Every aspect of the experience, from content workflows to public engagement, was designed to strengthen the Centre’s capacity to influence change.
Our strategic focus areas included:
Editor autonomy We built a custom Gutenberg blocks that allows non-technical staff to create rich, on-brand content independently.
Inclusive user flows We designed a frictionless contributor experience using magic links, making participation simple and secure.
Targeted engagement The site architecture was structured around distinct audiences to increase relevance, build trust, and improve engagement.
Performance and scalability The site was built for speed and long-term growth. It supports evolving content needs like policy publications and educational campaigns.
This strategy ensured the site was more than just a communications tool. It became an active driver of the Centre’s mission.
The solution
Our work with the Centre began with an in-depth research and discovery phase. This was essential to understanding both their organisational goals and the broader context of sex and gender inequity in health and medicine. This strategic foundation informed every aspect of the build. We developed a highly customised WordPress site using Gutenberg blocks, giving the Centre a flexible and intuitive content system.
The editorial team can now build complex layouts independently, without needing ongoing support from designers or developers. One of the site’s key features is the expert directory, which allows contributors to update their profiles through a secure magic link system. This removes the need for traditional logins while maintaining editorial oversight, as all submissions are reviewed and approved by the Centre’s team. Performance was also a major focus. We improved Core Web Vitals and server response times to ensure the site delivers a seamless experience across devices and connection speeds.
The content structure was designed to serve multiple audience types, including researchers, policymakers, media, and the general public. Each group has a clear pathway to relevant and impactful information.
Following the successful launch, our partnership expanded. Marameo was awarded a new contract to develop some educational material in the form of interactive drafts, interactive decision tools, workflows, flowcharts, and also videos to disseminate the work that the center is doing. These tools are designed to make the Centre’s research accessible, engaging, and actionable.
Curious how a custom platform like this could work for your organisation?
Site performance was treated as a strategic priority from the start. We optimised every layer, from hosting and caching to front-end rendering and asset delivery.
The result is a platform that meets the highest standards of speed, accessibility, and technical quality. Our Lighthouse audit shows outstanding results across all categories. These metrics confirm the platform is not only fast and reliable but also inclusive and future-proof.
This level of technical quality ensures that users, no matter their device or internet speed, can access the Centre’s work quickly and easily.
* Google PageSpeed Insights is the global benchmark for website performance. It combines Google’s search influence, detailed performance metrics, practical recommendations, global accessibility, and alignment with modern web standards.
Tangible results 🎯
Improved editorial efficiency
The Gutenberg block system has significantly reduced the time required to update and publish content. Editors now work more independently and with greater creative control.
The Gutenberg block system has significantly reduced the time required to update and publish content. Editors now work more independently and with greater creative control.
Streamlined contributor experience
The expert directory has seen a steady increase in profile updates via the magic link system. Contributors find it simple to use, and the Centre has reported a noticeable drop in manual follow-up.
The expert directory has seen a steady increase in profile updates via the magic link system. Contributors find it simple to use, and the Centre has reported a noticeable drop in manual follow-up.
Faster performance
The site delivers improved load times and better Core Web Vitals across key templates. This enhances user experience and supports greater reach.
The site delivers improved load times and better Core Web Vitals across key templates. This enhances user experience and supports greater reach.
Ongoing trust and expansion
Our continued collaboration, including the development of interactive tools, shows strong trust in our process and long-term satisfaction with the platform.
Our continued collaboration, including the development of interactive tools, shows strong trust in our process and long-term satisfaction with the platform.
Successful partnerships
Don’t just take our word for it—hear directly from our clients about the success we’ve achieved together.
These testimonials highlight the power of collaboration and the value of working as one team.
“We’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with Mara and her team at Marameo Design. As a client, they have been an exceptional agency – understanding our requirements and delivering solutions that consistently exceed expectations. Their ongoing support for our digital and web needs has been invaluable, and we cannot recommend them highly enough for any digital services.”
Nisha Gurung
The George Institute
★★★★★
“Marameo are incredible to work with. They provide creative and intelligent digital solutions to complex marketing and communication challenges, with particular expertise in the research sector. They are incredibly reliable and have deep expertise in the rapidly evolving online world. Plus they are amazing people. I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
Jo Savill
Australian Research Data Commons
★★★★★
“We have engaged Marameo Design on two occasions for the development and delivery of two websites and continue to work with them on digital strategy and website maintenance. Mara and her team are truly an amazing team of professionals! They are always ahead of the pack – asking critical questions, thinking things through thoroughly and leading with digital expertise second to none. Working with them and their highly attentive customer service is a breeze. We can not recommend their services highly enough!”
HTQ
★★★★★
“Thank you SO MUCH for your incredible work. It’s an amazing result I am really proud of having worked on.
I know we’ve demanded perfection from you many times! – and you deliver. It’s been wonderful to work with a team who are so professional about achieving the best quality for the end product.”
Tim Johnson
The Australian Prevention Centre
★★★★★
“Marameo Design has shown a very high level of customer service, strategic advice and understanding of the audiences, as well as great skill and expertise in development delivery since taking over the rebuild and then the maintenance of the ARDC website.”
Adelle Coote
Australian Research Data Commons
★★★★★
“I have worked with Mara and Marameo Design for over three years and have been consistently impressed with the skills and knowledge that the team has. Work is delivered in a spirit of collaboration, on time and on budget. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.”
Lindsay Complin
★★★★★
“What can I say? Marameo rescued our website (Research Data Alliance)! It’s still work in progress but it just gets better. Really great team.”
Bridget Walker
Research Data Alliance
★★★★★
““Highly recommended team of professionals, who always responded quickly and efficiently. They provided us a great website created on WordPress which was also required to integrate with our existing Drupal backend sales system. An ethically focused company who are a pleasure to work with.”
Jo Savill
Australian Research Data Commons
★★★★★
“I can’t recommend Mara and the team at Marameo Design highly enough. Mara has been doing work for our company for many years. I have always found the Marameo Design team to be pro-active, efficient, super responsive and a pleasure to deal with. Nothing is too much trouble and they always go above and beyond in their service.”
Shelley Sher
La Corium Health
★★★★★
“I wanted Marameo as our agency knowing that I could trust them and their work output. We have just launch a whole new customised WordPress website in collaboration with Mara and her fabulous team, and I couldn’t be prouder of the output. Bonus that they’re all such cool cats to work with. I couldn’t recommend Marameo enough”
Katrina Batho
Liverty Housing
★★★★★
“I have worked with Marameo Design on several projects over the years. They have built Drupal and WordPress websites for my clients, or migrated a Drupal website to WordPress. Mara and her team are very valuable to have on the team as she has great insight into human web behaviour and offers best practice in terms of web design and usability. They have a wonderful problem-solving attitude to every challenge.
Jen Galama
Traffic Act
★★★★★
“I have known Mara and the Marameo Design team since 2023—over two years now—and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with them. They truly understand requirements, consistently deliver on time, and go the extra mile by suggesting what works best (and what doesn’t) in this space. Their expertise and guidance have been invaluable. If you are looking to collaborate and strengthen your online presence, this is the team you can trust!”
Dr. Shilpa Sadanand
The Resilience Collaborative
★★★★★
“Mara and the Marameo team work hard to find the right solution for a business website, including regular maintenance, updates and and great advice along the way. They are also responsive to feedback and requests in a very timely manner. Thanks!”
Kevin Brumpton
Return Fire Productions Pty Ltd
★★★★★
“Worked extensively with this agency for over 3 years when I was at The George Institute of Global Health. They were always prompt, professional and gave excellent support with our Drupal website. Recommended”
Kevin Truong
The George Institute
★★★★★
” Mara and her team were so accommodating and went above and beyond to try and get what we needed in a short period of time. The transition was incredibly seamless. I always found them so switched on and eager to assist. They know their stuff and their caring and warm approach really fits well in the not-for-profit space”
Katrina Batho
Liverty Housing
★★★★★
“The Marameo Design team are always responsive, efficient & explain things very well. I have a wordpress e-commerce website & they have done an awesome job helping me & understanding what I need. So easy to deal with. I highly recommend their services. Thank you so much for your help & patience. Give stars all the way!!!”
Melissa Cremasco
Cremamia
★★★★★
“Thank you again for your time today – I could have stayed on that call for hours! Your insights on potential opportunities and improving Sepsis Australia’s website were incredibly valuable.”
Harriet Benjamin
Sepsis Network Australia
★★★★★
“The team at Marameo delivered a sleek and user-friendly website for FoodSwitch that perfectly aligns with our vision and expectations. Working with Mara for creative design and the technical team for the build, Marameo were easy to work with. Communication was clear, collaboration was seamless. We are very happy with the end result.”
Steve Stamatellis
FoodSwitch
★★★★★
“Working with Marameo Design has been a wonderful experience. They are professional, supportive and always reliable. True collaboration.”
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