Element is a global provider of testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) services, operating across sectors including Aerospace, Space and Defence, and Consumer and Industrials for Connected Technologies and Construction. With hundreds of laboratory locations across multiple continents and a highly specialised service portfolio, their digital platform must communicate depth and breadth to engineers, quality managers, and procurement leads, while performing as a commercial asset across diverse markets.
Challenge
Element’s existing digital platform had grown organically alongside the business, resulting in a fragmented web presence that no longer reflected the organisation’s scale, expertise, or service breadth. As Element’s growth strategy accelerated, the existing infrastructure became a constraint on both commercial performance and operational efficiency.
The challenge extended well beyond modernisation. Element needed to:
Consolidate their web presence under a unified digital architecture
Improve organic performance
Restructure the information architecture to reflect Element’s service portfolio in a way that was navigable for both specialist and non-specialist audiences
Establish multilanguage capabilities across six European markets
Equip internal teams with the tools, documentation, and knowledge to confidently manage and evolve the platform
Build a foundation for future change, such as new markets and channels
Approach
Codehouse was engaged as design-and-build partner, working closely with Element’s global digital and marketing teams from discovery through to delivery. We balanced design quality, technical rigour, and delivery throughout this significant programme.
Discovery and content strategy
The engagement began with collaborative discovery workshops, supported by user research, aligning on commercial objectives, audience needs, technical constraints, and success criteria. A structured content strategy was developed in partnership with Element’s team, addressing how Element’s complex service taxonomy, which spanned hundreds of testing disciplines, accreditations, and industry verticals, could be presented coherently across markets and languages.
Design systems and scalable UX
We approached the redesign with a design systems mindset, ensuring that new visual and interaction patterns could scale across Element’s diverse services, industries, and geographies. Components were designed to flex across content types, from short-form lab service pages to long-form technical accreditation documentation, with information architecture and navigation restructured based on user research to improve content discoverability and conversions.
Optimizely build and migration
The platform was built on Optimizely as a decoupled headless architecture. Technical alignment with Element’s internal IT and security teams was maintained throughout, and the migration was managed carefully to preserve business continuity across global operations.
Multilanguage framework
Five multilanguage sites were migrated as part of the transition, and options for enabling more efficient translation scaling was explored to support future expansion.
Knowledge transfer and governance
Codehouse integrated closely with Element’s internal planning and tooling throughout the programme. Comprehensive documentation and structured knowledge transfer ensured that Element’s internal teams were equipped to confidently manage, extend, and evolve the platform after handover.
Results
The new Optimizely platform consolidates Element’s digital presence under a unified architecture that reflects their position as a global leader in their field.
A cohesive and refined digital experience, consistent across industries, services, and geographies
A consistent multilanguage framework with potential for further scalability in future
Improved content discoverability through restructured information architecture, enhanced search and navigation, informed by user research
A robust digital foundation that supports Element’s strategic objectives of strengthening market position, expanding service offerings, and delivering better digital experiences
Improved organic and CMS performance – significant improvements seen in impressions, ranking positions, and web lead generation post-launch, plus far fewer maintenance incidents for the backend
Why Codehouse
This engagement reflects Codehouse’s ability to combine strategic thinking, design quality, and technical delivery expertise.
Element chose Codehouse for its ability to:
Demonstrate flexibility and agility whilst navigating organisational complexity across a large, multi-stakeholder environment
Deliver a high-quality, decoupled Optimizely design and build at scale, including migration, content, and multilanguage capabilities
Maintain design and delivery quality as requirements evolved
Act as a long-term partner with genuine investment in Element’s outcomes
Make strategic recommendations that hold their value beyond go-live
