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Case studies

Case studies

Five projects from across the Cambridge economy: what the problem was, what we did step by step, and what changed. Clients are not named, and we describe results in plain terms rather than headline percentages.

Scientist at a laboratory bench with pipettes and a laptop showing a chart

Case study 01

University spin-out, therapeutics

The problem

A young therapeutics company had a single-page holding site from its incorporation. Ahead of fundraising it needed to explain its platform to investors and attract experienced hires, without overstating early data. The founders were scientists with little time, and the science sat in papers written for specialist reviewers.

What we did

  1. Ran a half-day workshop with the founders to agree a one-line explanation of the company and a layered structure beneath it: overview, platform, evidence.
  2. Mapped three audiences (generalist investors, partner scientists, prospective hires) and gave each a clear route from the homepage.
  3. Designed pages for platform, pipeline, team, careers and news, with a pipeline chart that shows only the stage each programme has actually reached.
  4. Had every factual claim reviewed by the scientific team, and softened wording that implied more certainty than the data supported.
  5. Built news and vacancy templates so the founders could publish announcements, including embargoed ones, without a developer.

What changed

The founders now have a site they are comfortable sending to investors before a first meeting, and a careers section that answers the questions candidates used to ask at interview: where the lab is, how big the team is and what stage the company has reached.

What we took from it: The one-line explanation took longer to agree than any page design, and everything else depended on it.

Case study 02

Contract research organisation on a science park

The problem

A service provider had a large site that had grown over many years. Service pages overlapped, technical PDFs were scattered, and enquiries came through a generic email address that left the business development team chasing basic details.

What we did

  1. Audited every page against analytics and Search Console data to see which pages brought visitors and enquiries.
  2. Merged overlapping service pages into a clearer structure organised around what buyers are trying to do, not around internal departments.
  3. Turned the most useful PDFs into proper web pages and archived the rest.
  4. Rebuilt the site on a static stack with a headless CMS, so it is faster and has less to patch.
  5. Replaced the email address with an enquiry form that asks for the information the team needs to respond: sample type, timelines and scope.
  6. Mapped and tested redirects from every old address before launch, then monitored Search Console for errors afterwards.

What changed

Buyers reach the relevant service in fewer clicks, enquiries arrive with enough detail to answer properly first time, and the old addresses that had built up search visibility over the years still lead somewhere useful.

What we took from it: Most of the improvement came from removing and merging content, not adding it.
Modern glass research building on a landscaped science park with people walking and bicycles in racks
Reception area of a small boutique hotel in a period townhouse with flowers and lamps

Case study 03

Family-run guesthouse near the city centre

The problem

A small guesthouse relied on booking platforms that take a commission, and its own website was slow on phones and awkward for the owners to update when rooms, prices or seasonal information changed.

What we did

  1. Looked at how guests actually arrived: mostly on phones, often comparing several places at once.
  2. Designed a compact, mobile-first site with clear room pages, photographs handled properly and the information guests ask for most (parking, check-in times, walking routes to the colleges and station).
  3. Added a short local guide for visitors, written by the owners, which gives the site something the booking platforms cannot.
  4. Put a direct booking link on every room page and kept the booking route to as few steps as possible.
  5. Trained the owners to change seasonal notes and photographs themselves.

What changed

Guests can find what they need on a phone without zooming or hunting, there is a clear reason and route to book direct, and the owners update the site themselves instead of paying for small changes.

What we took from it: A small amount of genuinely local writing from the owners made the site more distinctive than any design choice.

Case study 04

Independent retailer, city centre

The problem

A long-established independent shop wanted to sell online without losing the character of the physical store, and without taking on a system the small team could not run alongside the shop floor.

What we did

  1. Compared Shopify and WooCommerce against the team’s skills and stock system, and chose Shopify for its lower maintenance.
  2. Structured product data around how customers browse in the shop, with collections that mirror the physical layout.
  3. Designed a custom theme with photography of the shop itself rather than stock imagery.
  4. Set up click and collect from the shop and local delivery zones around Cambridge, alongside national shipping.
  5. Ran a training session on orders, stock and returns, with a short written guide.

What changed

The online shop feels like an extension of the real one, local customers can buy online and collect in person, and the team handles orders as part of the normal day rather than as a separate project.

What we took from it: Getting product data right before design saved far more time than any theme customisation.
Historic market square with covered stalls and shoppers browsing
Punts moored on a misty river beside historic stone college buildings and lawns

Case study 05

College conference and events office

The problem

An events team marketing historic rooms for conferences and private hire had room information spread across PDFs and an old CMS that only one person knew how to edit.

What we did

  1. Interviewed the events team and reviewed the questions organisers asked most often by email.
  2. Designed venue pages with capacity tables for each layout, floor plans and clear accessibility information, including step-free routes.
  3. Built an enquiry form that captures dates, numbers, room layout and catering needs in one go.
  4. Moved the site onto a CMS with roles, so several staff can edit and one person approves.
  5. Checked the templates against WCAG 2.2 AA, with particular care over tables and form errors.

What changed

Organisers can shortlist rooms without emailing for basic details, the team receives enquiries it can quote from straight away, and more than one person can keep the site current.

What we took from it: Accessibility information for historic buildings is something organisers actively look for, and it deserves a prominent place.

What these projects have in common

None of these sites succeeded because of a clever visual idea. Each one started with the same questions: who visits, what do they need to find, and what should happen next? The design followed from the answers. In every case the biggest improvements came from structure and content: fewer, clearer pages, information placed where people look for it, and forms that ask the right questions.

They also share a practical ending. Each client was trained to run the site, owns the code and content outright, and can bring in another developer if they ever need to. If your project looks like one of these, or nothing like any of them, we are happy to talk it through.

Next step

Have a similar brief?

Tell us what the site needs to do and who it is for. We will reply with questions, a rough approach and an honest view of cost and timing.

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