Energising PD Ports for a progressive future

As well as driving forward new levels of safety, sustainability and innovation, they serve as ambassadors and key strategic partners for their regions. This includes Tees Valley where they are the largest private sector employer.

Now stretching over 10 years, our partnership has seen us support PD Ports with everything from brand strategy and activation to print and digital. Following a gradual evolution in their design system, and a shifting narrative around sustainability and social responsibility, we were tasked with a brand-led redesign and restructure of their website.

A discovery stage kicked off the project, allowing us to gain insight and make more informed decisions based on corporate priorities, business targets and user needs. Speaking to internal and external stakeholders, we were able to build a picture of perception, usability and performance, unearthing what elements were working well and those that were less effective. Our findings were also backed by analytics and testing, which revealed device usage, traffic sources and popular sections.

From there, we began to roll-out their next chapter, including a revised navigation and page structure, refined content and imagery, and a fresh design that offers a more immersive and engaging user experience. Alongside showcasing services and locations, there was a focus on creating a platform that could act as a springboard for recruitment and sustainability — two key pillars of their strategic growth plans.

To breathe new life into the brand and ultimately the website, we also developed their tone of voice, as well as photography direction and video style. This shaped a much more human and purposeful identity that better reflects the PD Ports of today.

Kirsten Donkin, Head of Communications at PD Ports, said: “As a progressive business, PD Ports is always changing and we wanted our website – the first contact many potential partners and customers will have with us – to better reflect our values and tell our story.

“Working with Better, with their expertise and outside perspective, allowed us to reflect on how best to deliver our key messages and to understand what users really want and need from our presence online.

“Our refreshed website is more visually appealing and now presents our services and wider business activities in a more streamlined and engaging tone of voice. My thanks go to the whole team at Better for their efforts.”

Adam Gatenby, Digital Director at Better, said: “It’s always an interesting task to refresh a website you’ve built in the past. In the case of PD Ports, it was a great opportunity to assess, evaluate and strengthen their presence — all inline with user needs and business objectives, backed up by the insight and data we had from the existing website.

“Powered by a new tailored CMS driven theme, we’ve rebuilt from the ground up. Developed in parallel with the brand enhancements, the site truly mirrors their character, values and customer-first approach.”

Paul Bell, Client Services Director at Better, added: “We’ve worked with PD Ports for over a decade, and it’s an honour to support an organisation that plays such a vital part in the long-term future of both our region and the UK.

“This was much more than just a digital project. It became a brand-led exercise that progressed and re-energised their verbal and visual identity. It also became the latest milestone in our shared history, and we’re proud to have set the foundations for their next phase of growth.”