About the project(s)
Updating the Howden Joinery Group Plc website, design system and marketing materials.
Howden Joinery Group Plc website. Source image: Howden Joinery Group Plc.
At Howden Joinery Group Plc UK in Northampton, the focus was on maintenance and continuous
improvement to boost visitor traffic
on the company’s website and elevate marketing
campaigns. Working to high standards, the design process utilised a complex and regularly
updated design
system, managed through Abstract - a versioning platform that ensured seamless collaboration
and consistency.
Howden Joinery Group Plc website. Source image: Howden Joinery Group Plc.
The design workflow incorporated industry-standard tools such as Sketch, Figma, Anima, and
Zeplin, streamlining the design-to-development handoff
with accuracy and efficiency. These
tools were fundamental in maintaining a polished and professional online presence while
consistently
updating and enhancing the website to meet evolving user needs.
Howden Joinery Group Plc website. Source image: Howden Joinery Group Plc.
A Passionate and Collaborative Design Team
As part of the Howden Joinery Group Plc digital team, I collaborated with designers,
marketing
designers, UX designers,
UX researchers, and product designers to ensure the website, apps,
and trader applications remained accessible,
functional, and visually appealing. Our primary
focus was on user experience, leveraging research insights to drive design decisions
and
foster cross-team collaboration.
Design Systems at Howdens
The design systems at Howdens were an essential aspect of maintaining quality and consistency
across all digital assets.
Regularly updated with Abstract, it served as the backbone of our
design process. Working within this system allowed me to gain valuable experience in
creating, maintaining,
and evolving robust design systems that adapt to changing business
and user requirements.
Abstract is a powerful version control and collaboration platform
specifically designed for design teams. It streamlines the process of managing design files
by integrating
seamlessly with tools like Sketch and Figma. Designers can create branches,
make changes, and merge updates without overwriting previous versions, ensuring a
transparent
and organized workflow. Abstract allows teams to collaborate efficiently, review
design changes, provide feedback, and maintain a complete version history - all in one place.
This approach enhances consistency, reduces errors, and promotes effective collaboration
across multidisciplinary teams, making it an essential tool for maintaining complex design
systems.
Abstract application. Version
control for Sketch. Design together, in real-time with version control for Sketch.
Collaborate in the same file at the same time, without losing the original.powerful version
control.
Abstract application user interface. Source image: Abstract application. Version control for Sketch.
Tools and Technologies
Our main design tool was Sketch, supported by Anima and Zeplin to ensure precise and
efficient delivery to the development team.
Additionally, we incorporated Figma into our
workflow for its collaborative features and flexibility. These tools empowered the team to
maintain
high standards while delivering practical and user-centered solutions.
Image of software used at Howdens: Anima, Zepplin, Figma and Sketch.