I was approached by DSW from a recommendation through a previous client. They had been working with a previous designer to help them update their website which wasn’t quite working for their brand. They were looking to refresh the images on their website without using photographs and they didn’t want to use generic illustrations that every other investment company used such as money, angel wings on investors and the classic charts and graphs.

DSW provided brand guidelines, company information, and wireframes from their previous designer. Building on these, we created new wireframes that introduced:

• Refined layouts for improved readability
• Stronger calls-to-action to guide users towards key contact points
• A content flow designed to keep visitors engaged across the site

Once approved, we applied the brand styling and explored different layout approaches to bring flexibility to the content.

The biggest challenge was imagery. With budget in mind, we sourced from premium stock libraries, curating collections that aligned with DSW’s brand values and tone. We presented a range of options, and through a collaborative image-selection workshop we shortlisted the visuals that best fit each page. The final set carried a sense of innovation and professionalism, with a softer, human quality that felt welcoming to diverse founders.