Rebuilding the digital home of Scotland’s land reform body
A user-focused platform to make complex land reform content clear, searchable and accessible
Public sector
Scotland
- UX and UI design
- Craft CMS development
- Algolia search
As the independent body driving land reform in Scotland, the Scottish Land Commission sits at the intersection of policy, research, and governance - advising the Scottish Government, working with landowners, and engaging communities on some of the country’s most significant land use decisions.
Its website needed to reflect that breadth without being overwhelmed by it. A platform built in 2019 had quietly become a barrier. A growing library of reports, research papers, and guidance documents was difficult to navigate and harder to search. Different audiences - policymakers looking for briefings, tenant farmers and communities seeking guidance, journalists needing a quick overview - were all arriving at the same front door with very different needs.
The Commission had also recently invested heavily in a strong visual identity. Their brand guidelines were excellent, and recent publications and reports showed what was possible when they were applied well. That quality hadn’t yet made it through to their digital presence - and closing that gap was as important a part of the brief as the functionality.
Understanding before building
Our starting point wasn’t the CMS or the design - it was the content. We ran a thorough audit of the existing site, mapping pages, resources, and documents against a new sitemap developed collaboratively with the Commission’s communications team. That process identified what to carry forward, what to consolidate, and what had simply become outdated.
It also shaped the new information architecture. Rather than reproducing the existing structure in a new skin, we built a clear hierarchy around how different users navigate the site - helping key audiences find what they’re looking for quickly, and delivering efficient user journeys.
Creating a consistent visual language
With a strong set of brand guidelines to work from, our design process was about translation rather than invention - taking what the Commission had already established in print and digital publications and making it feel equally at home on the web.
The result is an impactful look and feel that is considered and credible. Clear typographic hierarchy, purposeful use of imagery, and a component system we developed to give editors the flexibility to create varied page layouts while keeping the visual experience consistent throughout. For an organisation whose credibility depends on how it’s perceived by government, landowners, and communities alike, that visual coherence matters.
Project highlights
With hundreds of reports, policy papers and resources, search was a critical part of the user experience. We implemented Algolia to index document content and provide filtering by topic, content type and date - making it easier for users to discover relevant research and guidance.
Accessibility was built in from the outset. We delivered WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility and forms, validated through automated and manual testing. Fully responsive across modern browsers and devices, the site supports inclusive access to information for all users.
Clear, credible, and built to last
The new Scottish Land Commission website reflects the quality, authority and ambition of its work. Complex research, policy and guidance are now easier to find, navigate and understand, helping communities, policymakers, journalists and landowners access the information they need with confidence.
More than a website refresh, it is a content-rich platform designed to support engagement, strengthen credibility and make the Commission’s expertise more accessible to every audience it serves.
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Louise Boyd
Head of Marketing
Jenny Adams
Marketing Director