Street & Park new website division
CASE STUDY
Project Overview
I initially joined Metal Art as a student, coming in to work one day a week, supporting general design and marketing work alongside my studies. Following the success of the Powder Coating Services website, I was brought back to create an additional website for Metal Art, targeted at councils and architects.
The project required a complete rethink of how the business presented itself online, shifting from a broad, mixed offering to a focused, professional platform aimed at high-value decision-makers in local government and architectural sectors.
View the new website here
The Challenge
The existing website lacked clarity and structure. It combined multiple divisions of the business into one platform, resulting in:
- a cluttered and confusing user experience
- outdated and discontinued products still being displayed
- no clear target audience or positioning
- difficulty for users to understand the businesse’s core offering
- inconsistent and confusing quoting process
- very difficult for staff to edit
Research & Strategy
I began by researching competitor websites within the street and park furniture industry, identifying what worked well, where gaps existed, and the opportunities to serve our target audience better. I also worked closely with internal stakeholders to define clear goals, preferences and limitations, helping shape a focused project brief.
To better understand the user needs, I conducted an interview with a customer from our target market. This research informed the site’s structure, content and user journey, ensuring the platform aligned with how architects and council staff browse and consider products.
Key findings included:
- Existing product imagery was outdated, inconsistent, or did not accurately represent customisable features.
- Users wanted a clear and efficient way to browse standard products and request quotes.
- A more focused product range would create a simpler and more enjoyable experience, as well as allowing for faster quoting.
- Clear specifications and technical information were critical for decision-making.
- The site needed a logical structure to support both usability and SEO.
Building on my learnings from previous projects, I refined my workflow by presenting multiple design directions and limiting feedback to key milestones. This created a more efficient process, reduced unnecessary revisions and allowed for more meaningful feedback.
Design & Execution
One of the key challenges identified during the research phase was the lack of consistent, high-quality product imagery. Many products had outdated or low-resolution photos, while others had evolved through years of custom modifications, making it difficult to clearly communicate what the standard product actually looked like.
To address this, I introduced 3D product rendering across the entire product range. This provided a consistent and professional visual presentation, allowing users to view products from multiple angles and gain a clearer understanding of standard product configurations. The renders also helped establish a clear distinction between standard products and bespoke customisations, supporting the site’s goal of simplifying the product selection and quoting process.
Alongside the visual redevelopment, I was responsible for structuring and building the website, writing and organising product content, and creating a consistent system for presenting technical information. This included developing standardised specification sheets, product drawings, and measurements tailored to the needs of architects and council staff.
A significant portion of the project involved sourcing and validating information from a large collection of fragmented and often outdated resources. To ensure accuracy, I worked closely with staff across the business, reviewed historical documentation, and regularly visited the factory to measure, photograph, and verify products. This process allowed me to consolidate inconsistent information into a clear, reliable, and standardised product database that now forms the foundation of the website.
User Testing & Validation
To validate the design, I conducted user testing with four professionals working in parks and reserves roles who regularly use supplier websites to research products and request quotes.
Rather than creating an artificial testing environment, I visited each participant in their workplace and worked with them to identify a task they would commonly undertake as part of their day-to-day role. I then observed how they naturally navigated the site to complete their objective, taking note of their decision-making process, navigation patterns, and any points of confusion or hesitation.
The testing was overwhelmingly positive, with all participants able to successfully complete their tasks without assistance. While the overall user experience performed well, the sessions highlighted several small improvements that could be made before launch. These observations allowed me to refine the site further and ensure it aligned closely with the expectations and behaviours of its intended audience.
Alongside external testing, I also conducted internal testing with the staff responsible for responding to enquiries and preparing quotes. Together, we developed a new workflow for quote requests and refined the information collected through the website. This ensured enquiries contained the necessary details from the outset, allowing staff to prepare accurate quotes more efficiently and reducing the need for follow-up communication.
Outcome
The redesigned Street and Park website delivers a clear, structured, and user-focused platform that aligns with both the target audience and broader business objectives. By separating Street and Park from Metal Art’s wider offering, the site creates a more focused experience for architects, councils, and parks and reserves teams, enabling them to quickly find relevant products and information without unrelated distractions.
User testing confirmed that customers were able to successfully complete key tasks, such as researching products and requesting quotes, with minimal friction. Feedback from testing was used to refine the final experience and ensure the platform aligned closely with real-world workflows and expectations.
The introduction of standardised product information, specification sheets, technical drawings, and 3D renders created a more consistent and professional presentation of the product range. It also established a scalable foundation for future growth, making it easier to add new products, maintain content accuracy, and support users through the specification and quoting process.
A key objective throughout the project was ensuring long-term usability. The backend was structured to be intuitive and easy to maintain, allowing staff to confidently update products, content, and enquiries with appropriate guidance and training.
Alongside the digital rebuild, I also navigated the complexities of a partial rebrand and updated marketing direction. This required attracting new, higher-value customers while ensuring existing customers were not confused or alienated by the change in positioning and visual identity.
Overall, this project significantly strengthened my skills in web design and development, information architecture, user research and testing, content strategy, and 3D visualisation. It also refined my ability to manage stakeholder expectations, balance business and user needs, and deliver a large-scale project independently from research through to launch.