Business Context
Founded in 2012, The Hive integrates climbing, education, and community. As the organization expanded to six locations across Canada and continued to grow in popularity, its existing website could no longer keep pace with operational needs or audience expectations.
The previous site lacked clarity, consistency, and flexibility, making it difficult to manage updates or communicate location-specific information. As part of the Four Nine agency design team, I collaborated closely with The Hive to understand their needs and reimagine their interface.
We worked to transform The Hive’s digital presence into a scalable platform with clear content across locations, improved usability for staff and clients, and elevated the brand’s perception through an impactful experience.
The previous site lacked clarity, consistency, and flexibility, making it difficult to manage updates or communicate location-specific information. As part of the Four Nine agency design team, I collaborated closely with The Hive to understand their needs and reimagine their interface.
We worked to transform The Hive’s digital presence into a scalable platform with clear content across locations, improved usability for staff and clients, and elevated the brand’s perception through an impactful experience.
Defining the Strategy
Understanding The Hive’s growing community and operational complexity required deep investigation. Together with the design team, we conducted surveys and user interviews to uncover pain points and expectations from staff, members, and new clients, defining key personas to guide our decisions.
Broadened our understanding through competitive research on the climbing gym market and worked closely with The Hive team to validate each step. With these insights, we structured the core of our UX strategy, aligning user needs with business goals from the start.
Aligned with The Hive, we reviewed the existing website, identified fragmented content, and redefined the information architecture. The new framework simplified content management, improved navigation, and supported both operational efficiency and user experience.
Designing for Impact and Scale
We captured The Hive’s energy and community spirit to elevate the brand’s perception through an impactful experience. Working closely with the client, we created a look and feel that is vibrant, grounded, and inclusive, reflecting their unique atmosphere.
This direction came to life through a design system that balanced expression with usability. Inspired by climbing chalk, we introduced subtle textures and hand-drawn details to bring warmth and authenticity to the interface.
We expanded the colour palette and refined custom iconography to establish a cohesive, accessible visual language. The result combined The Hive’s hands-on personality with a flexible digital framework built to scale.
This direction came to life through a design system that balanced expression with usability. Inspired by climbing chalk, we introduced subtle textures and hand-drawn details to bring warmth and authenticity to the interface.
We expanded the colour palette and refined custom iconography to establish a cohesive, accessible visual language. The result combined The Hive’s hands-on personality with a flexible digital framework built to scale.
I crafted engaging hero banners using original photos from The Hive to express authenticity through impactful compositions that reflected the brand’s energy and personality. I managed a large image library, using batch processes and AI-assisted tools to accelerate editing and maintain consistency across hundreds of photos.
Design craft and modern process came together to transform how visitors feel and connect with The Hive brand.
Design craft and modern process came together to transform how visitors feel and connect with The Hive brand.
Enhancing the Experience
We focused on key insights from the research phase to guide improvements. A redesigned mobile experience and streamlined navigation made it easier to find location-specific information, supported by a location selector to reduce friction. We also incorporated live content sources to keep schedules and updates accurate in real time.
Membership options and pricing were restructured for easier comparison, creating a more transparent and user-friendly experience. Throughout the process, we looked for opportunities to add small moments of delight and reinforce The Hive’s community-driven identity. Balancing the UX needs with the visual updates, we were able to elevate the experience of all user groups in meaningful ways.
Structuring a Dynamic Platform
The Hive team required flexibility to update location-specific content such as gym closures, events, and program changes. They also needed the ability to create new sections and pages without writing code. Webflow provided a strong foundation for these needs, allowing the team to focus on more strategic aspects of the project.
The development team structured the CMS to support updates across multiple gyms, ensuring users always received accurate schedules, programs, and alerts.
The development team structured the CMS to support updates across multiple gyms, ensuring users always received accurate schedules, programs, and alerts.
Empowering The Hive Team
To ensure long-term consistency and autonomy, I developed comprehensive documentation and training resources for The Hive team. This included live sessions, training videos, and packaged files outlining clear processes for content updates and asset management.
I also created detailed guidelines covering the end-to-end image workflow. These resources allowed The Hive to maintain visual quality and brand consistency after launch.
I also created detailed guidelines covering the end-to-end image workflow. These resources allowed The Hive to maintain visual quality and brand consistency after launch.
Driving Connection and Growth
The new Hive website brings clarity, flexibility, and personality to the digital experience, reflecting the values that define their climbing community. With a scalable design system, improved content structure, and thoughtful integrations, the site supports both daily operations and long-term growth.
Since launch, The Hive has seen measurable improvements in visibility and engagement, with stronger keyword performance, higher user retention, and deeper interaction across pages. These results demonstrate how a well-structured, user-centered redesign can deliver real business impact.
From visual direction to CMS configuration, every detail was designed to empower The Hive team to manage content confidently and maintain a consistent brand presence across all locations. The Hive’s digital experience now mirrors their physical spaces: vibrant, thoughtful, and community-driven.
Since launch, The Hive has seen measurable improvements in visibility and engagement, with stronger keyword performance, higher user retention, and deeper interaction across pages. These results demonstrate how a well-structured, user-centered redesign can deliver real business impact.
From visual direction to CMS configuration, every detail was designed to empower The Hive team to manage content confidently and maintain a consistent brand presence across all locations. The Hive’s digital experience now mirrors their physical spaces: vibrant, thoughtful, and community-driven.
