Overview
P.J. Hegarty & Sons is in the top tier of Ireland’s building and civil engineering contractors. Founded in 1925, the company has built a strong reputation over nearly a century for delivering high-quality construction projects across various sectors, including government, commercial, industrial, pharmaceutical, data centres, infrastructure, and residential developments.
Known for its technical expertise, commitment to safety, and collaborative approach, the company works closely with clients, architects, and engineers to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. To reinforce its legacy while positioning P.J. Hegarty as a modern, progressive leader, the firm commissioned a new website to showcase its quality, innovation, and scale
My responsibilities during the project
- Co-led the development of the brand guidelines and defined core brand collateral
- Partnered with UX Lead on wireframes
- Led the creation of high-fidelity UI across core user journeys
- Collaborated with developers on QA to ensure design accuracy
🏔️ The challenge
- Outdated website: Lacked modern design and failed to showcase projects
- Confusing navigation: Hard for users to find key information
- Weak brand presence: Did not reflect the company’s history or innovation
💡 The solution
- Full rebrand: New logo and design system integrated across the site
- Improved UX: Intuitive navigation and engaging microinteractions
- Showcase projects: High-quality photography highlighting expertise and scale
📈 The impact
- Higher engagement: Visitors spend more time exploring projects and services
- Stronger brand perception: Reinforced PJ Hegarty as a top Irish contractor
- New client opportunities: Website attracts and informs potential clients effectively
Strategic Brand & UX foundation
The P.J. Hegarty brand relaunch was driven by a clear ambition: to honor the company's rich legacy while repositioning it as a modern, progressive leader in the construction industry. This brand evolution was focused on developing a refreshed brand that reflects the firm’s commitment to quality, innovation and scale.
Key takeaways from the workshop:
- User insights: Customer personas defined needs of clients, partners, and internal stakeholders
- Competitive analysis: Benchmarking highlighted opportunities to differentiate PJ Hegarty’s digital presence
- Strategic focus: SWOT analysis guided priorities for strengths, weaknesses, and growth areas
- Content & structure: Sitemap and card-sorting exercises shaped intuitive information architecture
- Feature & brand alignment: Identified key website functionalities while ensuring consistent visual identity and tone of voice
From strategy to user-centered design
We transformed strategic insights from a comprehensive brand and UX workshop into a unified, user-focused design. Guided by personas, benchmarking, SWOT analysis, and content mapping, we refreshed P.J. Hegarty’s identity and website to honor its legacy while positioning it as a modern leader, creating a clear, accessible experience that showcased projects and strengthened consistent digital branding.
Key steps in the design process:
- Visual identity design: Refreshed logo, colour palette, typography, and design elements to convey quality and innovation
- User journey-driven design: Guided interface and experience by mapped user flows
- Information architecture: Structured content and navigation via sitemap and card-sorting exercises for intuitive UX
- Interface & Interaction design: Developed layouts, responsive design, and microinteractions for seamless user experience
- Digital brand integration: Ensured consistent application of visual identity and tone across the website and digital touchpoints
Impact
The P.J. Hegarty brand relaunch strengthened the company’s position as a modern, progressive leader in construction by translating strategic insights into a cohesive, user-centered design. The refreshed visual identity and redesigned website created a clear, engaging digital presence, enhancing brand perception, improving navigation, and showcasing the company’s projects and expertise.