Case study:
Nationwide Design Guides.
Re-architecting internal design guidance to support scale, consistency, and adoption.
The Challenge.
Nationwide’s Experience Language website was originally built to host a limited set of “how-to” guides.
As the design system matured, the platform needed to support:
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new content categories,
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an experience toolkit,
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downloadable assets,
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ongoing growth without degradation of usability.
Without intervention, the increasing volume of content risked:
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poor discoverability,
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inconsistent usage of standards,
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reduced adoption of the design system,
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increased reliance on tribal knowledge and direct support.
I was tasked with reimagining how internal design guidance was navigated and consumed.
Design Strategy.
I approached this as a knowledge architecture problem.
Internal platforms succeed or fail based on:
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how quickly people can find what they need,
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how clearly content is categorised,
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whether usage scales with organisational growth.
The goal was to create an experience that:
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supported multiple content types,
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aligned with existing experience language patterns,
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reduced cognitive load for designers and contributors,
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encouraged self-service and reuse.
Reframing the Information Architecture.
From single category to scalable system.
Previously, the site only supported one content type (“How-to” guides).
The redesign introduced:
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multiple top-level categories,
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an experience toolkit,
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a dedicated area for downloadable assets.
This required a clear, extensible IA that could accommodate future growth without repeated redesign.
Secondary navigation for orientation:
To support the expanded content set, I introduced a persistent secondary navigation aligned to the left of the viewport.
This decision:
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matched established patterns across the experience language site,
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allowed clear categorisation of content,
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provided users with constant orientation,
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reduced reliance on long scrolling or page hopping.
Navigation design was driven by usability rather than novelty, prioritising predictability and speed.
Search as a Core Enablement Feature.
As content volume increased, browsing alone became insufficient.
I designed and integrated an enhanced internal search, allowing users to:
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quickly locate specific guidance,
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jump between related resources,
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reduce time spent scanning long lists.
Search transformed the platform from a static reference site into an active working tool for day-to-day design and delivery.
Impact:
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faster access to standards and guidance,
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reduced interruption and ad-hoc questions,
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increased confidence in applying the design system correctly.
Consistency & Alignment.
Throughout the redesign, I ensured:
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visual and interaction consistency with the wider experience language ecosystem,
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familiar patterns to reduce relearning,
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clear hierarchy across guides, toolkits, and assets.
This reinforced the platform as a trusted source of truth, rather than a separate or secondary resource.
The Solution.
The redesigned guides platform delivered:
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a clearer, scalable site architecture,
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improved UX and content discoverability,
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searchable access to growing design resources,
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stronger alignment with the Experience Language system.
Main outcomes:
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increased adoption of design standards,
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reduced onboarding time for new designers,
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lower dependency on direct support from the design system team,
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greater consistency across Nationwide’s digital experiences.