THE GALLERIA

Context

The Galleria is an outlet shopping centre in Hatfield, UK. Their old website was outdated. It wasn’t mobile-friendly. Users struggled to find basic information like store opening times or offers. The design didn’t reflect the brand.

THE CHALLENGE

One challenge was balancing stakeholder requests for large hero images with site speed needs. I worked with developers and the agencies to use modern image formats and loading strategies so visual impact didn’t slow the site.

My role

I was the lead designer for the full rebuild. I also managed and supervised the two marketing agencies in charge of the entire website rebuild process. This included aligning design, content, and technical decisions to ensure a consistent user experience.

What I did

At the start, I ran workshops with stakeholders to understand their main problems. They wanted:

  • A more premium design
  • Clearer store and offer information
  • A better mobile experience
  • Easier updates for their team

I reviewed analytics to see how people used the old site. Most visits were from mobile, but the design was clunky. Many dropped off from key pages like store listings.

Design process

I created a new site structure to make navigation simple. The old site grouped stores in confusing ways. I designed clearer categories with filters for brands, offers, and food options.

I created low-fidelity wireframes to align with stakeholders quickly. After sign-off, I moved to high-fidelity designs in Figma, adjusting colours and typography to feel warmer and more premium.

I supervised the two marketing agencies throughout. I made sure design decisions worked with their content and technical builds. I ran weekly reviews with them to keep everyone aligned and solve problems fast. For example, when CMS limitations emerged, I adapted components to keep the user experience strong without delaying launch.

Results

The new site will bring:

  • Faster load times
  • A seamless mobile experience
  • Easier browsing of stores and offers
  • A design that matches the brand better

Why this project matters to me

I enjoyed leading a project where design and strategy worked together. Managing external agencies taught me how to keep design goals clear while balancing business needs, timelines, and technical limits. Seeing small UX changes improve the customer journey was rewarding.

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