Quick Summary (TL;DR)
➡️ Problem: This event and brand-experience agency lacked a modern, easily maintainable web presence, making updates difficult without code.
➡️ Problem: This event and brand-experience agency lacked a modern, easily maintainable web presence, making updates difficult without code.
➡️ Role: I led design strategy, web design, development, and CMS integration to modernize their site’s look and scalability.
➡️ Solution: Created a minimal yet elegant animated website with a responsive, modular WordPress and CMS that improved usability for both visitors and internal users.
➡️ Impact: Client feedback was highly positive, and the modern web presence boosted credibility and helped drive new business and revenue growth for the agency.
This summary highlights the key outcomes. The sections below walk through the design process step by step.
Intro/Background
Cogs & Marvel is a leading events and brand experience agency with offices in San Francisco and Dublin, Ireland. Known for creating immersive, high-impact experiences for global brands, their expertise lies in live and virtual events and experiences — not web design or development.
They approached me to redesign their outdated website from the ground up. This included an intuitive content management system (CMS) that would allow their team to manage updates without technical hurdles. The goal was to create a contemporary, dynamic online presence that reflected their premium brand positioning while remaining easy to maintain.
This web design case study focuses on solving that exact challenge: How can we transform an outdated, static site into a modern, scalable, and easy-to-manage platform that reflects the creativity and prestige of Cogs & Marvel?
The Problem
Cogs & Marvel’s existing website didn’t match their reputation as a world-class brand experience agency. While their client work was cutting-edge, their online presence told a different story.
Cogs & Marvel’s existing website didn’t match their reputation as a world-class brand experience agency. While their client work was cutting-edge, their online presence told a different story.
❌ Outdated design: The static, antiquated site lacked the visual sophistication expected from a creative agency.
❌ Bad usability and responsive design: The old site was disjointed and wasn't created for mobile.
❌ Poor content management: Updating content required HTML knowledge, making simple changes time-consuming and risky.
❌ Limited scalability: The site structure and codebase couldn’t easily adapt to new services, projects, or branding updates.
My Role
➡ Led design strategy to align with brand vision and business goals
➡ Designed and developed the new website from concept to launch
➡ Built a custom WordPress theme with a scalable, modular layout
➡ Created an intuitive CMS for non-technical team members
➡ Tools used: Sketch, InVision, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, WordPress, HTML/CSS, JavaScript
➡ Led design strategy to align with brand vision and business goals
➡ Designed and developed the new website from concept to launch
➡ Built a custom WordPress theme with a scalable, modular layout
➡ Created an intuitive CMS for non-technical team members
➡ Tools used: Sketch, InVision, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, WordPress, HTML/CSS, JavaScript
Challenges + Learnings
Partnering with another creative agency meant balancing multiple strong creative perspectives — a bit like having a lot of talented chefs working on the same dish. My role was to bring web design expertise while honoring their established brand voice and visual identity. It required both diplomacy and decisiveness: knowing when to stand by a design choice and when to adapt for the sake of cohesion. Collaborating with event professionals rather than web specialists also meant translating digital concepts into a language that resonated with their industry. The process reinforced the importance of clear communication, shared vision, and keeping the end user’s experience at the heart of every decision.
Partnering with another creative agency meant balancing multiple strong creative perspectives — a bit like having a lot of talented chefs working on the same dish. My role was to bring web design expertise while honoring their established brand voice and visual identity. It required both diplomacy and decisiveness: knowing when to stand by a design choice and when to adapt for the sake of cohesion. Collaborating with event professionals rather than web specialists also meant translating digital concepts into a language that resonated with their industry. The process reinforced the importance of clear communication, shared vision, and keeping the end user’s experience at the heart of every decision.
Result/Impact
✅ Delivered a contemporary, scalable website aligned with Cogs & Marvel’s high-profile brand identity.
✅ Delivered a contemporary, scalable website aligned with Cogs & Marvel’s high-profile brand identity.
✅ Improved content management efficiency. Updates that once required HTML knowledge can now be made in minutes by non-technical staff.
✅ Enhanced perceived credibility, helping position Cogs & Marvel as a premier experience agency in San Francisco and Dublin.
✅ Increased engagement with dynamic, scroll-based animations that elevated the brand experience without overwhelming users.
✅ Estimated impact based on agency benchmarks: Modernized site design and usability can boost inbound leads by 15–30%, potentially translating into hundreds of thousands in additional annual revenue.
