Recognising the evolving dynamics of the business landscape and the need to align with the changing needs of clients, the decision to rebrand reflects a proactive approach to adapt and thrive in the post-pandemic era.
The in-house rebrand took place alongside a collaboration with a freelance digital designer—myself—for the creation of the new website. This dual approach allowed for a seamless integration of the internal rebranding vision with external expertise in digital design. The in-house team focused on evolving the brand identity, strategy, and internal communications, while the website's design and development were entrusted to me, an external freelance digital designer to bring a fresh, independent perspective to the online presence.
This collaboration reflects a strategic decision to leverage both internal insights and external creativity, ensuring a holistic and well-rounded transformation. The synergy between the in-house rebranding efforts and the external website design contributes to a comprehensive and cohesive brand evolution, marking a significant step forward for Sublime Australia, now Sage Digital Agency, in its post-COVID journey.
We started by doing a website audit to analyse the old site as the starting point for what they could do better this time. As the site was already up we were able to understand the needs and behaviours of the users. We gathered information to through interviews with clients, reviews/ testimonials, competitor research and observation sessions to gather insights into their navigation habits, pain points, and preferences. This ensured we were making data-driven decisions to in regards to the user-centric design when we started building out our site maps, information architecture and hierarchy. By prioritising the human experience in every interaction, Sage Digital Agency delivers digital solutions that are not only visually compelling but also intuitively tailored to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
Embarking on a website design with a minimal, sophisticated approach is a deliberate journey toward refined simplicity and timeless elegance. By embracing clean layouts, a limited colour palette, and whitespace as a design element, the focus is placed on essential elements, fostering a sense of clarity and purpose. Typography is chosen with care, and high-quality imagery is thoughtfully incorporated, creating a harmonious visual narrative. The navigation is streamlined for intuitive user experiences, while subtle animations and consistent branding elements add a touch of sophistication. This design philosophy prioritises a mobile-first approach, ensuring seamless responsiveness across devices. By curating a design that is both minimal and sophisticated, the website not only captivates visually but also delivers a user-centric and efficient digital experience, making a lasting impression on visitors.
SAGE was built in Squarespace, and we have recently been transitioning moving it over to Hubspots new CMS builder. This will allow the business to centralise they're comms and improve tracking so we can learn more about their user behaviours and interactions with their site.
It is currently in the testing phase, as Hubspot is a new CMS there are some bugs to fix - but this is all part of the iterative design process and why it has been crucial to do user testing.
