First opened in Penarth in 1999, Shepherd Sharpe has built a reputation around trust, honesty and openness, with a strong commitment to the local community. As a family-run estate agency with deep roots in Penarth and neighbouring areas, the business needed a new website for its 20th birthday in 2019 that reflected its personality, heritage and highly personal approach. The redevelopment focused on bringing these values forward digitally, creating a modern, welcoming experience that still felt authentic to the established brand and its long-standing local presence.
The original site lacked impact, personality and cohesion, with limited emphasis on the people behind the business and outdated photography. It also struggled to perform across mobile devices and presented inconsistent graphic elements that diluted the brand’s message. The redevelopment addressed these issues by introducing a refined colour palette, stronger typography and a more structured content hierarchy, while placing the team and local knowledge at the centre of the experience. This shift helped communicate Shepherd Sharpe’s ethos of guidance, expertise and personal service more clearly from the first interaction.
The new layout adopted a clean, mixed grid of photography and text, using overlapping elements to create a simple yet elegant structure. A fixed header improved navigation and usability, while careful use of light backgrounds with dark typography made the site more welcoming and accessible. Strategic contrast with darker sections allowed key messages to stand out, reinforcing the company’s friendly but professional tone. The design combined black and white imagery with full colour photography to express both personality and local expertise, creating a visual balance between heritage and modernity.
Photography played a central role in the redevelopment, shifting the focus towards people, homes and the Penarth community. This helped convey Shepherd Sharpe’s belief that moving home should be personal and enjoyable, not transactional. The refreshed structure also improved clarity across buying, selling, renting and valuation journeys, guiding users intuitively through their next move while maintaining the warmth and reassurance associated with the brand.
The result was a responsive, contemporary website that strengthened Shepherd Sharpe’s positioning as a trusted, community-focused estate agent. By aligning design, content and user experience with the company’s core values, the redevelopment created a digital presence that reflects the personal service, local knowledge and ethical approach that have defined the business since 1999.
Before
The original website opened with a large harbour image but lacked structure, hierarchy and a clear sense of identity. Navigation felt cluttered and inconsistent, while typography and layout choices diluted the brand’s personality. Key messages were buried in dense text blocks and there was little emphasis on the team or Shepherd Sharpe’s local, family-run ethos. The overall experience felt dated, with limited visual cohesion and no strong call to action, making it difficult for users to quickly understand the business or begin their property search.
After
The redeveloped website introduced a more refined and welcoming layout, with a balanced split-screen hero that immediately communicated both place and personality. Cleaner typography, improved spacing and a simplified navigation created a calmer, more premium experience aligned with Shepherd Sharpe’s values of trust and openness. The addition of a prominent property search function prioritised usability, while the new content structure highlighted the company’s heritage, local expertise and personal approach. The result was a contemporary, responsive interface that felt more confident, approachable and intuitive, guiding users seamlessly into their next move.