I focused on web development in college about seven years ago, but my practical experience is mostly with older tools like Adobe Dreamweaver. I recently accepted an IT support specialist role at a pharmaceutical company that works with peptides, and I've also been asked to lead a new web development project.
The company owns the domain, and we're starting from scratch. The site probably won't sell products; instead, it should present information and possibly display data generated by laboratory equipment in near real time. Someone from the lab-equipment team will help with the integration and related code. We have a reference site for the general look and feel, but the technical requirements are still being worked out.
I'm considering modern tools such as Next.js, but I'm unsure whether that's appropriate or whether a site builder, content management system, or another framework would be a better starting point. What software, architecture, and planning steps would you recommend for a project like this? I'm looking for practical advice from people who have built similar sites rather than relying only on tutorials.
4 Answers
Next.js can be a perfectly reasonable choice, but the framework should come after you define the requirements. A mostly informational site, a dashboard showing streaming lab data, and a system that stores regulated scientific records are three very different projects. Start with a small prototype and keep the first version as simple as possible. Modern AI coding tools can help generate boilerplate, but someone still needs to review the design, security, testing, and deployment decisions.
The live laboratory data is the part that needs the most investigation. Before choosing software, document how much data arrives, how frequently it updates, what formats the instruments produce, whether data can be lost, who needs to view it, and whether it contains confidential or regulated information. You’ll likely need an ingestion service, validation and storage layer, an API, and a separate web interface. In a pharmaceutical environment, involve security, compliance, and the equipment vendor early rather than treating this as just a front-end website.
I wouldn’t jump straight into building the entire site from scratch, especially if you’re the only person with web experience. First write down the pages, users, data sources, permissions, update frequency, accessibility needs, hosting constraints, backups, and ownership of the code. Build a small proof of concept that displays fake data, then test the integration separately. A content management system or hosted site builder may be enough for the public-facing pages, while a custom application can handle the lab dashboard if the requirements justify it.
Use tools you can maintain rather than choosing something because it is currently popular. A standard editor, Git for version control, a modern JavaScript framework such as Next.js if it fits the team, and a clearly documented deployment process would be a reasonable foundation. Avoid relying on a visual editor or generated code without understanding it. Ask the company who will maintain the site after launch and what security and approval process applies before selecting the stack.
Exactly. “Display data live” could mean refreshing a few status values every minute, or handling a continuous, auditable stream of instrument results. Those require very different designs and budgets.