A new initiative for Imperial College London; Celesta Venues.
Project Role:
Lead Designer
Agency:
The Digital Maze
Client:
Imperial College London
Skills
UI Design
Prototyping
Design Thinking
Figma
UX Research
Client Workshops
Agile Workflows
Presentation
The path to unifying disparate services under a single brand demanded a comprehensive understanding of every perspective.
Through stakeholder interviews spanning from top management to frontline staff, customer surveys, and detailed competitor
analysis, we built a rich tapestry of insights. We developed detailed personas to conduct user testing of the existing websites, revealing critical gaps in how they served different customer groups.
These findings, combined with our UX heuristic evaluation workshops and ongoing discussions, created a deep well of understanding about how academic spaces and student accommodation could coexist under the Celesta brand.
This exhaustive discovery phase culminated in a detailed findings report, that I presented to the core ICL team and key management stakeholders, that would guide our design decisions and set the foundation for the transformation ahead.
Architecture of Access
Building Digital Spaces for Physical Places
Merging academic spaces and student accommodation under one digital roof required a meticulous approach to information architecture.
Through collaborative card sorting workshops with our SEO specialists and ICL's core stakeholder team, I took to FigJam to craft a comprehensive sitemap with detailed deep links that would serve both conference organizers and budget-conscious travellers.
The goal was clear: transform two separate digital presences – a subpage on Imperial's main site and a standalone venues website – into a single, coherent digital experience that maintained the prestigious Imperial College London association while establishing Celesta's distinct identity.
Design with Purpose
When Accessibility Meets Ambition
Our early collaboration with their branding agency, Studio Noel, ensured that the brand direction aligned with WCAG guidelines – a crucial consideration for the required accessibility audits.
Through comprehensive wireframing in Figma and a robust feedback process with the core stakeholder team, we developed high-fidelity designs that enabled the new dynamic brand to co-exist with accessibility requirements that are often ignored.
This systematic approach to design proved that inclusive digital experiences and visual impact can work in harmony, creating a platform that truly serves all users.
This website was designed from scratch by hand in Figma, and brought to life in Framer (Not a template in sight).
(All works shown are copyright of either the employer or the client and are exhibited for informative purposes only)
Website design is copyright James Walsh © 2025