The Challenge
Turlo had the experience and the portfolio — but his online presence was failing him.
Users who visited his site didn’t immediately understand what he did, found it difficult to view his artwork, and struggled to contact him.
The content management system (CMS) was overly complex, blocking him from doing updates or content refreshes.
The challenge: Redesign the portfolio to clearly communicate Turlo’s role, display his work effectively, make contact effortless and enable him to maintain his website.
Research & Findings
Research and Analysis activities:
-
Heuristic evaluation of the site
-
Competitive benchmarking of leading design studios
-
Stakeholder and user interviews (recruiters)
-
Performance analysis (bounce rate, loading speed, responsiveness)
Key findings:
-
Poor mobile experience: The site wasn’t optimised for mobile or tablet.
-
Outdated technology: Some site components failed on modern browsers.
-
Ineffective gallery: Small thumbnails and limited zoom options made the studio’s work look unimportant.
-
Unclear identity: Users couldn’t quickly tell who DWYL worked for or what they offered.
-
Maintenance issues: A developer-built CMS made updates slow and complicated.
DWYL Design
Studio
My Role | Duration | Software Used |
|---|---|---|
UX Design | 4 Months | Miro |
UI Design | Figma/
Creative Suite | |
AI Integration | Pen and Paper |
Overview
DWYL is a London-based design studio whose website was failing to attract new clients and was difficult to update. Despite the studio’s strong portfolio and client list, the site wasn’t delivering results — users found it slow, confusing, and uninspiring.
The goal was to understand why the site underperformed, identify usability and technical issues, and design a new experience that showcased DWYL’s work effectively while reflecting its design credibility.
Solution
A new site was designed and built to address the core pain points, balancing aesthetics with usability and performance.
Key improvements:
-
Creating focal points to structure visual hierarchy
-
Large, high-quality imagery placed the studio’s work at the centre of the experience.
-
Streamlined gallery: Introduced a carousel image gallery with clear navigation via thumbnails and menus.
-
Responsive design: Fully optimised for mobile and tablet viewing.
-
Content audit: Added a “Clients” section featuring logos (Google, Meta, Amplify, Imagination, etc.) to communicate credibility and reach.
-
Efficient CMS: Rebuilt the site on Wix to ensure easy updates, reliability, and speed.
-
Tech integration: Support for full-screen images, animation, and embedded video for richer project storytelling.
The redesign prioritised clarity, speed, and hierarchy with visual impact — showing DWYL’s design strength from the first click.
The redesign focused on showing the art and not the interface. Every decision aimed to remove friction between the viewer and the work.
Outcome
-
DWYL’s site now works seamlessly across devices and browsers.
-
Client feedback has been extremely positive, with users praising how clearly the work is presented.
-
The studio reports a significant increase in client inquiries + collaborations since launch.
-
The new CMS enables the studio to update content easily and frequently, keeping the site current.
Studio feedback:
“The site feels like us and clients love it — they can actually see our work now and 9 out 10 times we share it with someone, we always get a call back.”
Next Steps
-
Add accessibility features such as alt text and clear text hierarchy (H1, H2 structure).
-
Conduct usability testing with first-time visitors to test navigation and site comprehension.
-
Explore AI-driven content tagging for future scalability.
Link to site: www.dowhatyoulike.co.uk