Evolving with purpose:
Gentoo’s digital refresh.
This wasn’t just about making it look better. It was about making it work better — for real tenants, in real homes, using real devices.
- WHO — Gentoo Group
- WHAT — Website Strategy, UX Research, Visual Design, Analytics Improvement
- WHEN — January 2022 – September 2023
- WHERE — Sunderland, England
- HOW — Co-design workshops, data-driven UX
Upgrade the
Digital Experience.
Upgrade the digital experience to better reflect Gentoo’s personality, values, and mission — making it work better for real tenants, in real homes, using real devices.
- Full website strategy and UX audit
- Brand alignment across all digital touchpoints
- Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA)
Listening First:
Workshops & Insight.
We kicked off the project with a series of interactive co-design workshops across multiple teams and user groups. These included colleagues from communications, digital, customer services, and tenant voice — ensuring that every touchpoint in the organisation had a say.
- Brand personality sliders to identify organisational feel
- Post-it exercises mapping competitor site likes/dislikes
- Live wireframing sessions for homepage co-creation
- “Day in the life” scenarios for tenant behaviour
- In-depth user interviews with tenants of varying ages and digital confidence
Key Research
Findings.
Tenants valued simplicity and clarity over flashy features. The homepage needed direct paths to critical tasks like paying rent and reporting repairs. Mobile was the dominant device for access. Trust was linked to tone — a friendly, human voice made users feel supported.
- Direct paths to critical tasks (pay rent, report repairs)
- Mobile-first design (93% of user base)
- Friendly, human tone throughout
- Simple, plain English — no jargon, no corporate waffle
See the
Results in Action.
A walkthrough of the final product — from homepage to conversion funnel.
See the
Results in Action.
A walkthrough of the final product — from homepage to conversion funnel.
Year One:
Fixing Fundamentals.
The first year focused on fixing fundamentals: improved navigation based on real user journeys, streamlined forms and task flows, and compliance with GDPR and accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA). Performance was monitored through Google Analytics, HotJar, Lighthouse, and A/B testing.
- 21.7% increase in user engagement time
- 16% drop in bounce rate
- 38% improvement in overall website performance
Year Two:
Growth & Conversion.
With strong foundations in place, we redesigned visuals to align with the Gentoo brand: clean, modern, soft corners, large CTAs, and white space. Updated layouts prioritised mobile users (93% of the user base) with clearer structure and simplified content.
- 14.72% increase in user engagement
- 23% rise in page views
- 10.4% increase in average visit time
- 17.15% growth in organic search traffic
Rooted in
Community & Clarity.
Gentoo’s brand is rooted in community, compassion, and clarity. These values informed every visual and content decision. This wasn’t just a design refresh — it was a transformation of how the brand feels online.
- Consistent use of Gentoo’s colour palette (orange, teal, navy)
- Soft iconography and rounded elements for approachability
- Clear buttons and interaction indicators
- Simple, plain English content throughout
Gentoo Group
Get your digital crayons sharpened today!
What could we do for you?
Screenshots
& Photography
All projects, designs, and results shown were produced by Dave Head while employed as UX/UI Designer at Gentoo Group (Mar 2022 – Sep 2023). All work, assets, and intellectual property remain the ownership of Gentoo Group. This case study is presented with publicly available data to demonstrate capability.
What clients say about our work
Real reviews from real businesses.
Had a website made from scratch was done within 4 days and turn around was great.
Great service overall. It's been a real pleasure working with Dave and his team. They've helped strengthen our business presence and brand identity through our website and are always on hand to offer support and go the extra mile. We're looking forward to continuing to work with Dave and the Northern Digital team on future projects as our business grows.
Very good experience, very knowledgable and trustworthy. Highly recommend.
What's costing you growth?
Let's find out. For free.
Book a free 30-minute strategy audit with Dave. We'll look at your marketing, find what's not working, and tell you exactly where to focus. No waffle. Just a canny plan you can act on.
Request Your Free Audit
Takes 30 seconds. No jargon, just results.