Client: FOSROC (Dulux Group)
Studio: Newpath
Role: Lead Product Design
FOSROC, a specialist construction brand and subsidiary of Dulux Group, is known for its high-performance products used in concrete repair, waterproofing and industrial flooring. Despite the technical strength of its offering, the brand’s digital presence was falling behind. Navigation was clunky, product information was hard to find, and quoting processes remained largely manual.
I joined the project midway through to take the lead on UX and UI design. My role was to introduce ecommerce user flows to the platform ensuring user needs were met, bringing clarity, speed and usability to a product catalogue that had grown complex over time. The goal was to create a seamless experience for FOSROC’s trade audience, where technical details could be accessed easily, quotes generated quickly, and decisions made with confidence.
Getting up to speed
Taking over mid-project meant quickly getting to grips with what had been done, what was missing and where the user experience was falling short. I reviewed early concepts and prototypes, met with stakeholders and product owners, and conducted a quick audit of the existing site. It became clear that while there were some strong ideas on the table, the overall journey needed greater coherence and structure.
I reframed the design challenge by shifting the lens from content-first to user-first. This was more than a digital catalogue. It needed to be a practical, day-to-day tool for builders, engineers and specifiers. That shift helped reorient the team and bring focus to key design priorities.
Understanding the users
To get closer to user behaviours, I facilitated working sessions with internal teams and stakeholders who interacted with customers regularly. FOSROC’s audience included site managers looking up specs on mobile, engineers needing compliance documents, and procurement teams building out quotes for large orders. Time was often limited, environments were high-pressure, and accuracy mattered.
A few consistent pain points emerged. Users struggled to find products based on their specific application or use case. Essential documents like datasheets and certifications were buried or missing. Quote requests involved clunky forms or offline follow-ups. Internal teams also found it difficult to keep product content up to date without developer help.
Designing the experience
My approach was to simplify and structure the platform around two goals: speed and clarity. I redesigned core user journeys around task flows, not page views. That meant enabling quick product discovery, streamlining quote requests and making technical information accessible without overwhelming the user.
Each product page was reimagined as a working hub. From one screen, users could view details, download documents, see related products and start a quote. I introduced contextual signposting to guide users through related solutions and decision points, reducing dead ends and unnecessary backtracking.
Internally, I worked closely with the content and marketing teams to define flexible page templates. These allowed them to manage updates in-house using a headless CMS, without needing to rely on developers. This shift gave the business greater agility and responsiveness going forward.
Prototyping and validation
Using Figma, I built interactive prototypes to test and refine key journeys, including search, product filtering, quoting and account views. Feedback cycles were run weekly, involving both stakeholders and proxy users.
I placed a strong emphasis on visual hierarchy and scannability. The content was often dense and technical, so layouts were designed to reduce cognitive load through consistent spacing, clear typography and logical groupings. Progressive disclosure techniques allowed users to quickly grasp top-line information while diving deeper when needed. Microinteractions supported usability by providing visual feedback at each step.
Visual design
The UI was designed to feel structured, grounded and professional. The visual identity needed to convey technical trust while remaining clean and modern. I used a restrained colour palette, simplified iconography and strong typographic rhythm to support usability and reflect FOSROC’s brand positioning.
Mobile responsiveness was a core consideration. Many users were accessing the site from the field, so touch targets, spacing and content stacking were all tested across breakpoints. The result was an interface that adapted to user context without compromising clarity.
The outcome
The new platform transformed FOSROC’s digital experience from a static catalogue into a dynamic, user-led tool. Customers could now self-serve with confidence, finding the right product, generating a quote and accessing documents with minimal friction. Internally, the business gained a more maintainable and scalable platform that could evolve with changing needs.
Taking over mid-project gave me a unique opportunity to reframe the design direction and bring a fresh, user-focused perspective. By grounding every decision in real user behaviour, we were able to create an experience that delivered immediate value to both customers and the business.