Creating a scalable multi-brand website to support franchise growth and investor confidence
Client
Head to Toe Brands
Role
UX Designer, Front-End Development
Team
Graphic Designer, Marketing Director, CEO
Timeline
16 weeks
Framing the challenge: Head to Toe Brands had no centralized digital presence to support its evolving brand ecosystem
Head to Toe Brands, a private equity backed portfolio of three national beauty franchises, had grown through acquisition but lacked a website or unified brand identity. They needed a scalable solution to showcase each franchise individually while reinforcing the value of the portfolio as a whole. The new site also had to support franchise recruitment, investor relations, and be easy for an internal marketing team to maintain.
I led UX, UI, and development from initial structure through implementation
I led UX, UI, and development from initial structure through implementation
I led UX, UI, and development from initial structure through implementation
As the sole designer on the project, I owned the full process from research and architecture to final responsive build. I collaborated with Head to Toe leadership to ensure internal business goals and franchise prospect needs were met.
Key responsibilities:
Defined site architecture and UX strategy
Created wireframes to validate layout and flow
Built the site in WordPress using modular components
Integrated HubSpot for lead capture and CRM sync
Designed a scalable system to support brand additions
As the sole designer on the project, I owned the full process from research and architecture to final responsive build. I collaborated with Head to Toe leadership to ensure internal business goals and franchise prospect needs were met.
Key responsibilities:
Defined site architecture and UX strategy
Created wireframes to validate layout and flow
Built the site in WordPress using modular components
Integrated HubSpot for lead capture and CRM sync
Designed a scalable system to support brand additions
As the sole designer on the project, I owned the full process from research and architecture to final responsive build. I collaborated with Head to Toe leadership to ensure internal business goals and franchise prospect needs were met.
Key responsibilities:
Defined site architecture and UX strategy
Created wireframes to validate layout and flow
Built the site in WordPress using modular components
Integrated HubSpot for lead capture and CRM sync
Designed a scalable system to support brand additions
Franchise prospects and investors were the primary users, each with distinct goals
The website was designed for two core audiences:
Prospective franchisees: Women aged 35–55, interested in beauty business ownership
Investors and stakeholders: Focused on clear representation of the portfolio
The website was designed for two core audiences:
Prospective franchisees: Women aged 35–55, interested in beauty business ownership
Investors and stakeholders: Focused on clear representation of the portfolio
The website was designed for two core audiences:
Prospective franchisees: Women aged 35–55, interested in beauty business ownership
Investors and stakeholders: Focused on clear representation of the portfolio
The website was designed for two core audiences:
Prospective franchisees: Women aged 35–55, interested in beauty business ownership
Investors and stakeholders: Focused on clear representation of the portfolio
To better understand user expectations, I conducted:
Card sorting with five prospective franchisees to define IA and content grouping
Informal interviews to understand potential franchisee decision drivers
Competitive analysis of similar portfolio brand websites to benchmark tone and layout
To better understand user expectations, I conducted:
Card sorting with five prospective franchisees to define IA and content grouping
Informal interviews to understand potential franchisee decision drivers
Competitive analysis of similar portfolio brand websites to benchmark tone and layout
To better understand user expectations, I conducted:
Card sorting with five prospective franchisees to define IA and content grouping
Informal interviews to understand potential franchisee decision drivers
Competitive analysis of similar portfolio brand websites to benchmark tone and layout
To better understand user expectations, I conducted:
Card sorting with five prospective franchisees to define IA and content grouping
Informal interviews to understand potential franchisee decision drivers
Competitive analysis of similar portfolio brand websites to benchmark tone and layout
Key Insights from Research
Key Insights from Research
Users needed to self-qualify early
Franchise prospects wanted to know upfront if they met the requirements. I prioritized eligibility content in the IA and added clear, early access to qualification details on key pages.
“Our Brands” was the top priority
Participants consistently looked for brand-level info first. I made “Our Brands” a primary nav item and designed it as a visual hub for exploring each franchise.
Brand sites needed clear entry points
Users wanted to move smoothly from portfolio-level overviews into individual brand sites. I used clear labels and CTAs to guide this transition without ambiguity.
Trust came from story and leadership
Users were more confident when they saw who was behind the business. I prioritized team bios, brand history, and mission content to build trust across audiences.
Users needed to self-qualify early
Franchise prospects wanted to know upfront if they met the requirements. I prioritized eligibility content in the IA and added clear, early access to qualification details on key pages.
“Our Brands” was the top priority
Participants consistently looked for brand-level info first. I made “Our Brands” a primary nav item and designed it as a visual hub for exploring each franchise.
Brand sites needed clear entry points
Users wanted to move smoothly from portfolio-level overviews into individual brand sites. I used clear labels and CTAs to guide this transition without ambiguity.
Trust came from story and leadership
Users were more confident when they saw who was behind the business. I prioritized team bios, brand history, and mission content to build trust across audiences.
Users needed to self-qualify early
Franchise prospects wanted to know upfront if they met the requirements. I prioritized eligibility content in the IA and added clear, early access to qualification details on key pages.
“Our Brands” was the top priority
Participants consistently looked for brand-level info first. I made “Our Brands” a primary nav item and designed it as a visual hub for exploring each franchise.
Brand sites needed clear entry points
Users wanted to move smoothly from portfolio-level overviews into individual brand sites. I used clear labels and CTAs to guide this transition without ambiguity.
Trust came from story and leadership
Users were more confident when they saw who was behind the business. I prioritized team bios, brand history, and mission content to build trust across audiences.
Users needed to self-qualify early
Franchise prospects wanted to know upfront if they met the requirements. I prioritized eligibility content in the IA and added clear, early access to qualification details on key pages.
“Our Brands” was the top priority
Participants consistently looked for brand-level info first. I made “Our Brands” a primary nav item and designed it as a visual hub for exploring each franchise.
Brand sites needed clear entry points
Users wanted to move smoothly from portfolio-level overviews into individual brand sites. I used clear labels and CTAs to guide this transition without ambiguity.
Trust came from story and leadership
Users were more confident when they saw who was behind the business. I prioritized team bios, brand history, and mission content to build trust across audiences.
From wireframes to a modular design system, I developed and launched the site in WordPress
Following initial research and site architecture, I created wireframes to define the content hierarchy. Using the provided brand guidelines as a foundation, I created a modular design system focused on scalability and ease of use. Upon design approval, I built and launched the site in WordPress, allowing the internal marketing team to manage updates without relying on additional development resources.
Decisions made considering design constraints
01
Color & Type
I was limited to using the brand’s existing color palette and typography, with no flexibility to explore or propose visual alternatives.
01
Color & Type
I was limited to using the brand’s existing color palette and typography, with no flexibility to explore or propose visual alternatives.
01
Color & Type
I was limited to using the brand’s existing color palette and typography, with no flexibility to explore or propose visual alternatives.
01
Color & Type
I was limited to using the brand’s existing color palette and typography, with no flexibility to explore or propose visual alternatives.
02
Imagery
I proposed using authentic photography to engage franchise prospects, but AI-generated imagery was chosen to maintain internal preferences.
02
Imagery
I proposed using authentic photography to engage franchise prospects, but AI-generated imagery was chosen to maintain internal preferences.
02
Imagery
I proposed using authentic photography to engage franchise prospects, but AI-generated imagery was chosen to maintain internal preferences.
02
Imagery
I proposed using authentic photography to engage franchise prospects, but AI-generated imagery was chosen to maintain internal preferences.
01
UI Elements
The team selected the final component styling; I recommended stronger contrast on CTAs to support clarity and visual consistency across the system.
01
UI Elements
The team selected the final component styling; I recommended stronger contrast on CTAs to support clarity and visual consistency across the system.
01
UI Elements
The team selected the final component styling; I recommended stronger contrast on CTAs to support clarity and visual consistency across the system.
01
UI Elements
The team selected the final component styling; I recommended stronger contrast on CTAs to support clarity and visual consistency across the system.
The platform is now actively used to recruit franchisees and scale content
The site has been adopted by the client and integrated into their ongoing operations:
HubSpot lead forms route inquiries directly into brand-specific CRM pipelines
The internal team continues to update the site with new brand content as the portfolio grows
Leadership expressed strong satisfaction with the final product and its ease of use
It serves as the primary digital tool for franchise recruitment across three brands
The site has been adopted by the client and integrated into their ongoing operations:
HubSpot lead forms route inquiries directly into brand-specific CRM pipelines
The internal team continues to update the site with new brand content as the portfolio grows
Leadership expressed strong satisfaction with the final product and its ease of use
It serves as the primary digital tool for franchise recruitment across three brands
The site has been adopted by the client and integrated into their ongoing operations:
HubSpot lead forms route inquiries directly into brand-specific CRM pipelines
The internal team continues to update the site with new brand content as the portfolio grows
Leadership expressed strong satisfaction with the final product and its ease of use
It serves as the primary digital tool for franchise recruitment across three brands
The site has been adopted by the client and integrated into their ongoing operations:
HubSpot lead forms route inquiries directly into brand-specific CRM pipelines
The internal team continues to update the site with new brand content as the portfolio grows
Leadership expressed strong satisfaction with the final product and its ease of use
It serves as the primary digital tool for franchise recruitment across three brands