Client
Link
Web Design
AI
A New Bulletproof Website Built for Hubspot CRM
Jade Software underwent a rebrand to revitalise its presence in the market and highlight its' products that power some of New Zealand’s leading brands. The brand direction was created by an external agency, and they needed support to develop a design system and generate brand assets, with a focus on delivering a fresh new website.
The Challenge
The new brand focused on “bulletproof software,” built for resilience, scalability, and long-term performance. Jade wasn’t a startup; it was a mature, confident brand built on decades of experience. The challenge was to translate this identity into a website that reflected these values, establishing a systematic design approach in defining colour combinations, layouts, imagery, and messaging. The website, being the centre-point of marketing communications, acts as the guide for the whole brand roll-out. In order to launch quickly, an agile approach was taken to design and launch each page one by one, to get the brand and messaging to market.
The Solution
A contemporary design approach was taken, drawing inspiration from magazines like Monocle to give it a mature and confident look. This combined a strong use of grid and bold typography layouts with an activator colour to inject energy and guide the user through the page. Navigation and site architecture were streamlined to create a more intuitive user experience, introducing a mega-nav and new navigation groups that supports the various products of Jade.
Constraints
The site had to be built within HubSpot using an existing theme and infrastructure. It needed to feel unique, not just an out of the box solution. Working closely with Jade’s design and development teams, we audited existing modules to make the most of the current theme while creating custom sections where needed. This ensured a sophisticated and distinctive result within the platform’s constraints.
Brand System
With the brand still new, an image library and style guide needed to be created. A hero video was developed using a mix of stock and original footage. Defined by grainy textures, low shutter speed, and motion blur, capturing the energy of a fast-paced world. The message was simple: Predictable software in an unpredictable world.
An image library was also established in this style, using AI to generate visuals aligned with the brand’s tone, colour palette, and texture. The decision to use AI allowed us to create an initial library quickly so the website could launch sooner. The motion style worked well with AI-generated images, providing textured visual to work behind key brand messaging. It also allowed rapid experimentation with different styles and colours, creating a scalable set of unique assets for ongoing use.
A foundational design system was created to ensure consistency and scalability across future projects. Colour, typography, components, and imagery guidelines were defined to lead the brand’s digital expression going forward.
The result was a bulletproof website that confidently captured Jade’s new brand and message. From concept to launch, the site was delivered in under month, getting the refreshed brand to market fast. The layout and design systems will go on to inform the rest of the collateral for roll-out.
