How we streamlined operations and increased user engagement by consolidating National Grid’s 100+ websites.

National Grid faced a digital challenge: over 100 websites spread across various business units, platforms, and CMSs. These fragmented digital assets created inefficiencies for internal teams and confusion for external users. Coherence partnered with National Grid to consolidate their digital estate, delivering a streamlined web architecture that enhanced both operational efficiency and user engagement.

The Challenge

National Grid had created over 100 websites across various digital platforms and CMSs, leading to:

• Internal inefficiencies: Duplication of content and lack of governance, causing engagement issues and operational challenges.

• External confusion: Users struggled to find relevant information, affecting overall engagement with important content, especially as National Grid plays a critical role in the UK’s race to Net Zero.

• Technical challenges: The diversity of platforms and CMSs created governance and maintenance issues across the organisation.

National Grid needed a unified, cohesive digital strategy to rationalise its complex web estate and create a first-class online presence that supported its broader goals.

Why Coherence?

National Grid chose Acquia for its multi-site capabilities and selected Coherence as their partner for our expertise in consolidating large digital estates and working closely with Acquia. Coherence’s experience in strategy, UX, UI, IA, content strategy, and technical architecture positioned us as the ideal partner to lead this comprehensive digital transformation. Our proven ability to create strong, uniform themes across multiple sites, coupled with our track record of delivering complex solutions under tight timelines, made us the perfect fit.

Our Approach

• Quick-Start Immersion

We launched the project with our 10-day immersion process, engaging stakeholders across National Grid to fully understand the scope of their digital assets. This involved running parallel workshops, reviewing documentation, and gathering insights from internal teams.

• Comprehensive Audits

We conducted both quantitative and qualitative audits of National Grid’s content, identifying gaps and opportunities in UX, content strategy, and technical architecture. Each audit led to focused workstreams dedicated to addressing these areas.

• Collaborative Workstreams

Weekly sprints and sprint demos kept the project on track, ensuring that all stakeholders were aligned and any blockers were swiftly addressed. Our iterative approach allowed us to adapt quickly and maintain momentum, ensuring that critical milestones were met.

• Framework Development

We developed a robust toolkit for National Grid, which included:

Information Architecture (IA): Clear navigation patterns and multi-layered sitemaps to handle the complexity of National Grid’s various sites.

Content Strategy: Guidelines for content governance, SEO-driven recommendations, and a content audit to support ongoing content creation.

Component Audit: A gap analysis to determine which existing components were fit for purpose, alongside new component designs.

Migration Toolkit: A detailed guide for migrating the various sites to the new platform, including flexible components to support the transition.

Design Guidelines: A set of design standards to ensure consistency across the digital estate.

Testimonial

“Working with National Grid on consolidating their extensive digital estate was a rewarding challenge. Given the sheer scale and complexity of their web presence, it was critical that we took a structured, methodical approach. By collaborating closely with their team, we were able to create a unified framework that not only streamlined internal processes but also significantly improved the user experience. The success of this project highlights our ability to manage large-scale digital transformations efficiently while ensuring long-term value for our clients.”

Julian Tedstone

Managing Director, Coherence

The Outcome

The consolidation of National Grid’s digital estate is an ongoing project, but the initial strategy work delivered by Coherence has provided a solid framework that continues to guide the company. The new information architecture, content strategy, and design guidelines have already led to more efficient internal processes and a significantly improved user experience.

Key outcomes include:

Improved Efficiency: A streamlined approach to content creation and management, reducing duplication and improving governance.

Enhanced User Engagement: Clear navigation and user-friendly content designed to meet the needs of external audiences.

Long-Term Strategy: A flexible framework that supports the ongoing migration and consolidation of National Grid’s vast digital estate.

About National Grid

National Grid is a leading energy infrastructure company that operates the electricity and gas transmission systems across the UK and the northeastern United States. With a mission to connect people to the energy they need safely, reliably, and efficiently, National Grid plays a crucial role in driving the transition to a cleaner, greener energy future, supporting the UK’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.