Case Study
Adstream
This case study showcases Adstream's rebranding of its website with a focus on accessibility. The new design highlights Adstream's technical expertise while ensuring an inclusive experience for all users. By integrating features that address diverse needs, Adstream reinforces its commitment to accessibility and enhances overall engagement. Explore how these design choices create a more user-friendly platform.
Situation
Their objective was to create a modern, creative design that highlights their technical expertise and market understanding. The visual identity needed to convey personality, empathy, and a connection to a creative community.
Additionally, they aimed to enhance brand awareness, generate new enquiries, and increase conversions. The website required fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, easy updates, SEO optimisation, and full accessibility for users with disabilities to ensure inclusivity.
They recognised that their current website lacked impact and felt generic, featuring an unclear offering, complex user journeys, a clinical atmosphere, low-impact imagery, and limited accessibility features.
The new website delivers a clean, engaging UX design that prioritises user experience at every touchpoint. It simplifies user journeys, making navigation intuitive and efficient, while focusing on the needs of customers by addressing their challenges and pain points with tailored solutions.
Designed to showcase technical expertise, the website reflects industry knowledge and empathy, creating a connection with users through a deeper understanding of their needs. The company's offering is clearly presented, ensuring visitors grasp the full range of services and benefits.
Accessibility and inclusivity are key pillars of the design, ensuring that users of all abilities can seamlessly interact with the platform, contributing to a more welcoming and comprehensive digital experience.
Task
As the Creative Lead, I led the development of Adstream’s new visual identity and website. My responsibility was to ensure the design not only reflected the company’s mission—visibility, control, and productivity—but also met technical standards like speed, mobile responsiveness, SEO, and accessibility. I collaborated with an external agency to develop the site and implement SEO best practices, ensuring all features, including accessibility, complied to web standards and provided an inclusive experience for all users.
Action
To deliver on these goals, I first conducted in-depth research on Adstream’s market and target audience using techniques such as qualitative/quantitative research, empathy mapping and persona building. With these insights I applied it to the design thinking framework —empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test—ensuring the final product aligned with user needs. I created a visual identity that balanced creativity with professionalism, using a modern, scalable font and layouts to convey innovation and reliability. Accessibility was a key consideration throughout the design process. We incorporated features such as high contrast for readability, alt text for images, keyboard navigation, and compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guideline standards. I collaborated with the external agency to ensure the website was fast-loading, mobile-responsive, and optimised for SEO. Together, we developed a content management system that made it easy for Adstream’s internal team to manage and update the site.
The low-fidelity wireframe shown here is one of many created during the design process. For the purposes of this case study, we’re focusing on the home landing page to provide a clear example of the overall layout and user experience. While other pages were also carefully designed, the home page serves as a central reference point, showcasing the core structure and design principles that were applied throughout the website.
Accessibility UI and Location
accessWidget interface is a session-based design and UI adjustment tool that makes accessibility modifications based on a user’s individual needs. With the interface, users can customise the website to their individual accessibility needs.
Accessibility in situ
The visual below highlights the accessibility features integrated into the home landing page. This UI ensures an inclusive experience, offering tools such as adjustable text size, high-contrast modes, and screen reader compatibility. These features are designed to make the site navigable for all users, regardless of ability, seamlessly blending into the clean, modern design without compromising the overall user experience. The accessibility elements are easily accessible, ensuring the site meets diverse needs while maintaining an engaging and user-friendly interface.
Result
The new visual identity and website were highly successful. Web traffic increased by 40%, and engagement metrics such as time on site grew by 30%, while bounce rates dropped significantly. Enquiries increased by 25% in the first three months, improving conversion rates. The accessibility improvements made the site usable for a wider audience, further contributing to engagement. Additionally, the enhanced branding and website were pivotal in positioning Adstream for acquisition, demonstrating the impact of strong design, accessibility, and user-focused development.
