A Historic Hotel, A Modern Site
Elevating a digital experience that reflects the Ocean House's historic character while simplifying booking and navigation.
Role
Design Lead at 829 Studios
Duration
12 weeks
Project Team
Strategy: Gabrielle Richter
Project Management: Dani L.
About
When Ocean House came to 829 Studios, their website was outdated and fragmented. The digital experience didn’t live up to the grandeur of the property itself. Our challenge was to design a site that reflected the hotel’s sophistication while making it easy for visitors to explore, book, and discover what makes Ocean House exceptional.
Responsibilities
As Design Lead, I shaped the project from research through visual design and mobile optimization. The new system streamlined navigation, improved accessibility, and unified the brand into a cohesive digital experience.
Research
We started with kickoff questionnaires, audience surveys, stakeholder interviews, and an audit of existing analytics. This gave us a clear picture of where the current site was falling short. Guests struggled to find the right information, the booking flow was cumbersome, and the overall presentation did not reflect the level of detail and care that the Ocean House brand is known for.
Elevate digital identity
Strengthen brand representation online
Inclusivity in mind
Improve accessibility and responsiveness for all users
Increase visibility
Build SEO foundations to increase visibility
Showcase offering & simplify booking
Simplify conversion paths to booking
Design Goal
The redesign needed to capture the hotel’s history and luxury while improving usability across every touchpoint. Success meant more than a beautiful interface—it had to enhance brand representation, improve accessibility, optimize for mobile, and drive conversions through a more seamless booking flow.
Wireframing
The redesign needed to capture the hotel’s history and luxury while improving usability across every touchpoint. Success meant more than a beautiful interface—it had to enhance brand representation, improve accessibility, optimize for mobile, and drive conversions through a more seamless booking flow.
Visual Design
We leaned into the existing Ocean House brand while refining its digital expression. A restrained color palette and elegant typography provided structure, while large-format photography showcased the property and surrounding coastline. Each page was designed to immerse the user in the atmosphere of the hotel before they ever set foot inside it.
Outcomes
The new Ocean House website brought cohesion, clarity, and elegance to the brand’s digital presence. Navigation was simplified, booking became intuitive, and the site itself reflected the sense of place the hotel is known for.
Refined user experience
Visitors now move easily through the site, with intuitive booking and a clear sense of the hotel’s offerings.
Enhanced brand representation
The redesign better communicates Ocean House’s values of history, luxury, and comfort through design and imagery.
Increased conversions
A streamlined booking process directly supported higher conversion rates.
Accessibility and responsiveness
The site adapts to every device, making it simple for all users to explore and book.
SEO improvements
Stronger technical foundations and content hierarchy boosted visibility and organic traffic.
Takeaway
This project was about finding the right balance between preserving Ocean House’s history and meeting modern user expectations. We kept the character of the brand intact while making the site easier to use and more effective, resulting in a digital experience that feels true to the property and works better for guests.
