Refecto
Service-focused UX redesign to improve lead quality and clarity
Refecto Aquatique is a Quebec-based company offering aquatic and technical services for both residential and commercial clients across the province.
Role & Context
- Role: UX/UI Designer · Web Designer · Front-end Developer
- Technologies: Joomla
- Industry: Technical services · Pool and spas systems
- Market: Residential & Commercial
- Geographic Scope: Province of Quebec
- Year: 2025
Project Overview
Before the redesign, the website did not clearly communicate which services were actually offered or what clients could expect. The copy was outdated and overly technical, the imagery did not reflect the Quebec market, and the site generated unqualified leads, with users contacting the company for services that were not provided.
The project involved a full website redesign, focused on clarifying service offerings, improving lead quality, and aligning the digital experience with real operational realities, while modernizing the technical foundation of the site.
I was responsible for the project end-to-end, covering strategy, UX, design, development, and technical optimization.
Before the Redesign
Before the redesign, the website presented several critical issues:
- Generic and outdated copywriting
- Service descriptions focused on technical explanations rather than client outcomes
- Unclear scope of services offered
- Imagery that did not reflect the Quebec environment (tropical visuals unrelated to the market)
- Poor mobile navigation
- Outdated components and platform versions
- Security and performance concerns
As a result, the site attracted misaligned inquiries and did not effectively support the business.
My Role
I led the project end-to-end, handling all aspects of the redesign.
My responsibilities included:
- UX research and service mapping
- Content restructuring and copywriting
- UX/UI redesign for desktop and mobile
- Visual direction aligned with the Quebec market
- Joomla updates and component management
- Security and performance optimization
- Mobile navigation and usability improvements
The Challenge
Business Challenges
- Increase the number of qualified leads
- Clearly define which services were offered — and which were not
- Reduce time spent handling irrelevant inquiries
- Build trust with both residential and commercial clients
- Align the website with the company’s real operational scope
UX Challenges
- Translating technical services into clear, client-centered language
- Helping users self-qualify before making contact
- Designing service pages that answered:
- What is offered?
- For whom?
- What outcome does the client get?
- Improving mobile usability for on-the-go users
- Creating a credible, local, and professional visual tone
Technical Challenges
- Updating Joomla core and components
- Improving site security and stability
- Optimizing navigation and performance on mobile devices
- Ensuring long-term maintainability of the platform
Strategy & Approach
Service clarity over technical detail
The primary UX decision was to shift from technical descriptions to service clarity.
- Services were rewritten to focus on client needs and outcomes
- Clear distinctions between residential and commercial offerings
- Explicit boundaries around what services were not offered
Designing for qualified leads
The site was structured to help users self-select before contacting the company.
- Clear service categories
- Direct, expectation-setting language
- Reduced ambiguity throughout the journey
Local and credible visual language
Imagery and tone were updated to reflect:
- Quebec environments and architecture
- Realistic service contexts
- Professional, trustworthy visuals
Mobile-first navigation
Navigation was simplified to support users accessing the site from mobile devices, especially during urgent or on-site situations.
Design & Development Decisions
- Joomla-based architecture optimized for clarity and stability
- Updated core and components
- Improved security configuration
- Clear information hierarchy across service pages
- Mobile-optimized navigation patterns
- Reusable layouts for future updates
Results & Impact
The redesign resulted in:
- Clearer understanding of services offered
- Higher quality inbound leads
- Reduced irrelevant inquiries
- Stronger alignment between the website and business operations
- A modernized, secure, and maintainable platform
Reflection
This project reinforced the importance of:
- Designing for lead quality, not just lead quantity
- Translating technical expertise into human language
- Aligning digital experiences with real operational constraints
- Using UX to save time, not just attract attention