Transforming complexity into clarity
Making complexity feel simple for every user — from job sites to design studios.
Background
C.R. Laurence (CRL) is a global manufacturer and distributor of architectural hardware, glass fittings, and glazing systems. With more than 80,000 products, the business serves a wide range of professionals—from contractors purchasing materials under tight timelines to architects and global design firms specifying complex building systems.
As CRL grew through acquisition, its digital presence struggled to keep pace. The website reflected legacy structures and print-first thinking, underselling the quality and sophistication of the brand while making it difficult for different types of users to accomplish very different goals within the same experience.
insight
The existing experience treated all visitors the same, mirroring internal organization rather than how customers actually work. Purchasers and specifiers were forced through identical paths despite having fundamentally different needs: speed versus depth, immediacy versus confidence. Deep hierarchies, dense navigation, and limited orientation placed the burden of interpretation on the user.
To move forward, CRL needed an experience that could adapt—one that responded to why a user was there, not just what they were looking for.
