Case Study: Hunt Architects – WordPress Web Design & UX for an Architectural Practice

The Challenge

Hunt Architects, a respected Perth-based architectural practice founded in 1970, partnered with Lilo to modernise their digital presence following their rebrand from Peter Hunt Architects.

Although the firm was recognised nationally for award-winning, collaborative design, their existing website no longer reflected the quality, scale, or innovation of their work. The platform limited portfolio visibility and did not support meaningful user engagement.

We identified several key challenges:

• An outdated single-frame homepage that restricted storytelling
• Poor portfolio visibility across sectors and project types
• Limited engagement-driven UX design
• A digital presence misaligned with the firm’s rebranded identity
• Insufficient CMS flexibility for ongoing content management

Our objective was to deliver a contemporary WordPress website that aligned with Hunt Architects’ vision, elevated their portfolio, and supported long-term growth.

Discovery and Technical Review

We began the project with a detailed discovery phase, auditing Hunt Architects’ existing website to uncover usability, structural, and performance issues.

Our review revealed:

• Homepage limitations that discouraged exploration
• Underutilised portfolio content with poor navigation
• A CMS that restricted internal updates
• Technical inefficiencies affecting performance and scalability

At Lilo, we shaped our solution around flexibility, performance, and visual storytelling — ensuring the platform empowered the Hunt Architects team while delivering a seamless experience for users.

UX and Design Research

Our UX and design process focused on positioning architecture as the hero while guiding users intuitively through the site.

We developed wireframes and visual concepts to test two creative directions:

• A minimalist, gallery-style layout
• A bold, interactive design with dynamic motion

Through close collaboration with Hunt Architects, we refined the final direction to balance sophistication with approachability. Our team prioritised clean layouts, strong visual hierarchy, and purposeful interaction to reflect the firm’s collaborative and problem-solving ethos.

A mobile-first approach ensured consistency across devices, with intuitive navigation and strategic layouts encouraging deeper engagement.

Interactive Design & Project Showcase

Showcasing Hunt Architects’ work was central to our solution. We redesigned the Projects section to present their portfolio with clarity, impact, and flexibility.

Key enhancements included:

• Responsive image grids highlighting diverse architectural sectors
• Filterable categories for intuitive project browsing
• High-resolution imagery showcasing award-winning designs

To further elevate engagement, Lilo introduced interactive design elements across the site:

• Animated homepage sliders featuring flagship projects
• Hover interactions across navigation and project thumbnails
• Smooth transitions to create a refined, immersive experience

These enhancements increased portfolio engagement by 30% and improved average interaction time by 25%.

SEO & Technical Improvements

Alongside the visual redesign, we implemented technical improvements to support performance and visibility:

• SEO-friendly page structures and project templates
• Improved site speed and responsiveness
• Fully mobile-optimised layouts
• Scalable architecture to support future growth

Our approach ensured the website was not only visually compelling but also accessible, performant, and built for long-term discoverability.