Wizard Falls
Design & Development
Wizard Falls
Design & Development
Summary
Mission
Wizard Falls is a consultancy with decades of experience advising major retailers, manufacturers, and brands in the outdoor industry. However, their existing website failed to reflect that level of expertise. Built with basic GoDaddy tools, the site lacked clarity, structure, and credibility—making it difficult for visitors to understand what the agency did or why they should trust them.
The challenge was to close that credibility gap by creating a website that clearly communicated Wizard Falls’ depth of experience, positioned them as a serious industry partner, and provided a strong foundation for future growth.
My Contributions
I was responsible for the project end-to-end, working as the sole designer and developer. I led the strategy, design, and build of a brand-new website—starting with content restructuring, and visual direction, and carrying the project through development, migration, and launch.
My work included defining the site’s information architecture, designing a polished and confident UI, rebuilding the site in WordPress using Elementor, migrating hosting, writing new copy, improving performance and accessibility, and establishing SEO-friendly foundations. Throughout the project, I focused on creating a site that was not only visually credible, but also scalable and easy for the client to maintain long-term.
Timeline
10/03/25 – 10/28/25
Services
- Website Strategy & Content Structure
- UI Design & Front-End Development
- CMS Setup & Platform Migration
My Role
Web Designer & Developer (Sole Consultant)
Impact
The new Wizard Falls website established a credible, scalable digital presence that better reflects the agency’s experience and supports long-term business growth.
Credibility Gap Closed
Replaced an outdated site with a professional digital presence aligned with Wizard Falls’ industry expertise.
Clear Service Positioning
Reorganized content and messaging so visitors can quickly understand services and positioning.
Scalable Foundation
Built on WordPress with Elementor, enabling easy updates, expansion, and long-term maintainability without developer reliance.
Platform Limitations
Migrated from a restrictive GoDaddy builder to a flexible WordPress environment.
Accessibility Improved
Implemented cleaner structure, optimized performance, and accessibility-minded design practices.
Search-Ready Structure
Established SEO-friendly page structure and content hierarchy to support organic discovery over time.
"Working with Drew on our recent project was a pleasure and I’d recommend his services. His consultative approach, walking us through the process and patience, was appreciated. He delivered on time and within our budget."
Strategy & Approach
The strategy centered on making intentional platform and structural decisions that balanced flexibility with long-term simplicity. The project was scoped as a focused rebuild within a defined 20-hour engagement, which required prioritizing the highest-impact improvements over exploratory or experimental work.
The client needed a multi-page website that could support brand consistency, content expansion, and select functionality—without becoming difficult to maintain. To meet those needs, I recommended migrating the site to WordPress and building with Elementor. This allowed for reusable layouts, consistent styling, and plugin support—such as a language switcher and content tracking—while staying within scope and avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Because formal UX research was outside the project scope, I conducted a targeted competitive review to evaluate how similar outdoor consultancies structure content and present expertise. This informed decisions around page hierarchy, navigation, and visual direction, ensuring the site aligned with industry norms while remaining adaptable for future growth.
Competitive Snapshot
The review showed that effective outdoor consultancies lead with experience and credibility rather than process, and that clear, restrained messaging performs better than feature-heavy layouts. This reinforced a content strategy focused on expertise, concise service definition, and a simplified page structure.
Design & Development Execution
Page Template & Layout System
Five reusable page templates and section layouts were created to support consistent presentation across the site, three of which are currently in use. Two additional templates were designed to support future content, such as a blog or more detailed project case pages. This approach reduces one-off layouts and allows new pages to be added quickly without redesigning or restructuring existing content.
Visual Styling & Component Use
Global styles were defined for typography, spacing, and core components to maintain consistent presentation across all pages. Common elements—such as headings, content blocks, and callouts—were reused throughout the site to reduce visual drift and simplify ongoing updates. The color palette and typography were selected to support an outdoor-oriented aesthetic while maintaining clear hierarchy and readability across content-heavy sections.
WordPress Configuration & Editor Setup
The site was configured in WordPress using Elementor, with global styles defined for typography and color to ensure consistent presentation across all pages. Reusable templates and structured containers were set up to allow content updates without affecting layout or styling, supporting straightforward, non-technical editing.
Responsive Behavior & Build Quality
Layouts were built and tested across desktop, tablet, and mobile to ensure consistent structure and readability at all breakpoints. Section spacing, typography scaling, and image behavior were adjusted to prevent layout shifts and maintain clear hierarchy as content reflows on smaller screens.
Navigation, content blocks, and service sections were designed to remain usable and legible without collapsing into overly condensed or stacked layouts. These build decisions ensure the site performs reliably across devices while preserving the intended presentation and content order.
Technical Scope & Ownership
This project was delivered as a full site build within a defined time and budget, requiring a focus on foundational structure, consistency, and long-term maintainability. I owned the technical execution end-to-end, including WordPress setup, Elementor configuration, global styles, reusable page templates, responsive layout behavior, and content implementation across all pages.
Rather than prioritizing custom feature development or experimental functionality, the build focused on establishing a stable, flexible CMS that supports ongoing updates and future expansion without requiring redevelopment.
Project Takeways
This project reinforced the importance of making clear, intentional decisions when working within defined scope and time constraints. Prioritizing platform choice, layout systems, and content structure early made it possible to deliver a site that feels cohesive and flexible without unnecessary complexity.
It also highlighted the value of building with long-term maintenance in mind. By focusing on reusable templates, global styles, and structured layouts, the final site supports future growth without requiring ongoing redevelopment—an approach that proved especially effective for a small consultancy managing its own content.