Evolution 7 Creates A Modern And Striking Website For Saxton Speakers Bureau

The award-winning digital agency Evolution 7 takes Saxton Speakers Bureau’s dated website and converts it into a world-class website.

The Melbourne-based Saxton Speakers Bureau represents renowned speakers like Holly Ransom, Ita Buttrose and The Hon. Julia Gillard. Although curating household names for speaking engagements, their website lacked excitement and felt more like a tired edition of the Yellow Pages.

Transforming a dated directory into a world-class website

The leading speakers bureau selected Evolution 7 to design and build their website. They wanted something that could respond to the needs of Saxton and its users. Evolution 7 started working with UX research to guide their decision making and keep users front and centre.

The project transformed the passé directory-style website into a vibrant, energetic home for event speakers. Saxton’s new site has reinvigorated the brand and positions them as a leading player in the event space.

Putting the spotlight on Saxton’s USPs

Saxton Speakers Bureau’s network of speakers was already impressive. Still, their website was challenging to explore. Complex navigation and poor design meant the site’s 6000 pages left users overwhelmed and unlikely to inquire.

Beyond the provision of speakers, Saxton offers supporting services to enable clients to plan and execute exceptional events. The company is known for its customer service which earns them stellar reviews.
The website redesign was an opportunity to put the spotlight on Saxton’s points of difference: its speakers and service.

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The website wishlist:

Convey a clear brand proposition
Be mobile optimised
Easy to navigate
Be easy to maintain by internal teams
Work for Australian and New Zealand arms of the business

The largest speakers bureau in Australasia, Saxton has managed speakers for over 50 years. The website did not reflect their prowess. Besides, it was time they had a digital home worthy of the Saxton name. But it wasn’t only the website that was passé.

Refreshing the brand identity

Saxton Speakers Bureau recruited Evolution 7’s designers to re-energise its visual identity for digital use. An essential step in Saxton’s evolution, it reflects the strength of their offering as they look towards future growth.

The synergy of core design elements – colour, iconography, and typography – achieves a distinctive look that makes the Saxton brand stand out immediately. The logo badge enables use on a multitude of background types. The isolated ‘X’ icon – which reflects a sense of ‘coming together’ – is an alternate logomark.

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Information architecture for the people

The existing site contained a wealth of information. However, the navigation was not useful to achieve them. To set up the new website for success, Evolution 7 had to ensure the information architecture (IA) was intuitive and straightforward for users.

UX research and navigation testing enabled the digital agency to structure the site in an instinctual way. Also, they permit users to complete key tasks: discover speakers, learn more about Saxton, enquire online and find relevant contact details.

Evolution 7 streamlined the IA significantly. Where the existing site had eleven items in the primary nav, the new site had four: Speakers, About, Resources and Enquire. A new mega menu clearly categorises options to direct users to relevant content in a single click.