The backstory
Some website redesign projects involve more than a change of layout, colour palette, or ticking boxes on a brief. This was definitely one of those.
I’ve worked with Diverse Minds UK Ltd for a long time. I originally built Leyla’s first website back in 2018, and we’ve made small updates together since then. But by 2025, it was clear that the site no longer reflected where the business was, or where it was going.
This time, the brief wasn’t “make it look nicer”. It went much, much deeper than that.
The challenge
Diverse Minds had outgrown its existing website in a few really important ways.
The visual style felt too corporate for Diverse Minds, a business rooted in culture, wellbeing, and lived experience. Accessibility needed to be more than a consideration. It needed to be front and centre. And crucially, feedback showed that visitors were struggling to find what they needed. The site structure reflected what the business wanted to say, rather than how people actually looked for information.
That combination meant the website wasn’t doing its job as well as it could.
The brief
Leyla was clear on what she wanted to change.
We kicked off the redesign project in summer 2025, and we deliberately slowed the early stages down.
Before touching visuals, we spent time on structure. We talked through how different audiences arrived on the site, what questions they were asking, and what outcomes they were looking for. It quickly became obvious that the original navigation said more about internal services than user needs, so we rebuilt the site framework around clear outcomes and journeys.
Once the structure was right, we moved on to the fun part: visual design.
Leyla brought brilliant ideas to the table and worked with an illustrator, Jess of Augarde Design, to create beautiful bespoke vector graphics. These were combined with carefully chosen stock imagery from Unsplash and Pexels to add texture, warmth, and colour.
Everything was selected with accessibility in mind, from contrast and spacing to readability and flow.
I then built sample pages on a test site so we could see the design working in context. We went through a couple of thoughtful rounds of feedback, refining layouts and visual treatments before rolling the design out across the full site.
The whole project was collaborative, considered, and never rushed.
The outcome
The new Diverse Minds website is a world away from its earlier, more corporate version.
It’s confident, vibrant, and full of energy. The colours and illustrations bring culture to the surface rather than hiding it. The structure makes it far easier for visitors to understand what Diverse Minds does and how to engage. And accessibility is woven into the experience rather than bolted on as an afterthought.
Having worked with Leyla Okhai for many years, I can honestly say this site is an upgrade that feels like a true reflection of her business today. It carries assurance, warmth, and authority in equal measure.
Diverse Minds website redesign before and after
Why this project matters
This redesign is a good example of what happens when a website is treated as a living part of a business, not just a marketing asset.
It shows what’s possible when you take time to understand users, respect values, and design with thoughtful attention. And it proves that accessibility, culture, and clarity don’t limit creativity, they strengthen it.
If you’re a values-led organisation that’s outgrown its website and wants something that genuinely reflects who you are, this is the kind of work I love doing.
Thinking about a website redesign?
If your site no longer reflects your values, your culture, or the way people actually use it, it might be time for a rethink.
I design websites that are clear, accessible, and made for humans.
Get in touch and let’s talk about what your site needs to do next.
