A website refresh to improve engagement and usability

Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators (WPCC) are a charity who care for the Wimbledon and Putney Commons: 1,140 acres of countryside amidst the urban surroundings of Wimbledon, Putney and Kingston-upon-Thames. The Commons are a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and are home to a wide variety of wildlife.

Eight years after we created the original Wimbledon and Putney Commons charity website, it was time for a refreshed design.

The brief

While the website remained functional and served the needs of its diverse user groups, we worked with WPCC to identify several areas that needed further development due to the growing volume of content.

Navigation had become increasingly difficult, and all content was given equal prominence, making it hard for users to find key sections. The site’s layout felt outdated, using only a narrow portion of the screen, with small header images on the homepage and limited visuals in key areas. Landing pages lacked impact and didn’t effectively guide users to the information they needed. Additionally, the mobile experience needed significant enhancement, including a more intuitive menu system and a restructured layout to support deeper levels of content.

Our brief was to redesign the homepage and three key landing pages: The Commons, Things to Do, and Support Us. As the content page templates were to remain unchanged, the new designs needed to complement the existing pages to ensure a cohesive look and feel across the site.

Our approach

Each page was carefully designed to meet specific goals, ensuring key information stood out while keeping supporting content easy to find.

The Commons page was restructured with clear sections for better navigation, while the Things to Do page streamlined content by combining elements from different sections of the website, reducing repetition that had been introduced over time. The Support Us page was transformed to align with the charity’s growing focus on fundraising, giving greater prominence to donation options and the ‘Friends of Wimbledon and Putney Commons’ membership programme.

Outdated features, such as the homepage carousel, were replaced with a full-width header image to create a more modern and open feel. The charity’s impressive photo library was used to its full potential, with striking images featured prominently on the homepage and landing pages, paired with concise, emotive text to engage visitors.

The websites we create are custom-designed and built with flexible elements that can be reused across pages to present similar types of content. For this redesign, we introduced new features for the landing pages to make navigation more engaging and versatile.

We used a mix of different block sizes and layouts to emphasise key content and guide visitors through the site. For example, activities are showcased with large images, while some sections combine photos with text to provide helpful details before visitors click through. Wide blocks are used to draw attention to important messages or events, and smaller text-only sections are included for general updates. Visitor quotes are also highlighted in dedicated areas alongside striking visuals.

We developed the site to work well on all devices, keeping the familiar look and feel while adding these new features. A new mobile menu was also created to make it easier to navigate the growing content.

The result

The redesign effectively resolved navigational challenges by making key information more accessible and placing greater emphasis on calls to donate or support the charity. The new mobile menu significantly improved usability on smaller devices, accommodating deeper content levels without introducing clutter.

Careful planning and a phased rollout ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption to users. This project revitalised the WPCC website, creating a strong foundation for future updates while inspiring visitors to support the charity and enjoy the beauty of the Commons.

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