Mercantile Maritime

The project required establishing trust and credibility from scratch, as there was no previous website or digital identity to build upon. Representing a complex, multi-vertical business covering commodity trading, shipping, infrastructure, and risk advisory needed a structure that communicated both high-level understanding and operational depth. Showcasing the company’s global presence and multiple office locations was essential, while also ensuring the design remained scalable for future content such as insights, reports, and case studies. Mobile responsiveness was critical, since many partners and clients access the site on the go. Overall, the challenge was to balance a polished corporate tone with visually engaging design elements that reflect energy, movement, and global operations.

• Solution

  To address the project challenges, I utilized the brand’s brown color, combined with black, to create a refined grayscale-brown tone throughout the entire site. Using professional typography from the brand guidelines and high-quality imagery inspired by global trade and infrastructure, I created a strong and trustworthy visual identity. I designed a clear information architecture and sitemap to simplify complex business areas, supported by a well-structured navigation system for seamless exploration. A scalable design system with reusable components and layouts was built to support future content growth. With a mobile-first approach, I ensured the experience was fully responsive, delivering optimized layouts, visuals, and interactions across all devices. Credibility-enhancing elements such as global office maps and an insights section were integrated to build trust, while SEO optimization and asset compression ensured fast loading and strong overall performance.

• Design Process

  design process began with understanding Mercantile & Maritime’s brand, goals, and target audience. To map key tasks, I created a sitemap and user flows, followed by low-fidelity wireframes for desktop and mobile layouts, prioritizing content hierarchy and CTAs. High-fidelity mockups and a comprehensive design system were then developed for all main pages Home, Services, Insights, Team, and Contact incorporating color, typography, components, and micro-interactions to create a trustworthy and cohesive visual experience. An interactive prototype was tested with stakeholders to refine navigation, content clarity, and mobile usability. Finally, detailed design specifications, assets, and documentation were handed off to the development team, ensuring responsive implementation, optimized performance, and adherence to SEO best practices.

• Final Design

  The Mercantile & Maritime website was designed to present the company as a professional, global player in energy and commodities trading. The homepage features a strong hero section with a clear headline, service cards, a global reach map, an insights preview, and a comprehensive footer. Dedicated pages with icons and imagery, structured sections (What We Do, How We Do It, Why Choose Us), and case studies or key metrics simplify complex operations. Leadership is highlighted through card-based bios and optional interactive maps, while Contact, office information, a business inquiry form, and a Careers CTA ensure easy engagement. The design incorporates a deep brown and black color palette, brand-guideline typography, high-resolution imagery, reusable design system components, and subtle micro-interactions—such as button hover effects, card animations, and lazy-loaded images—to enhance the overall user experience.