AUTOMOTIVE DEALERSHIP / PRODUCT DESIGN 2025
ABOUT THE PROJECT
A ground-up redesign of one of Atlantic Canada's largest automotive groups — covering every page type, every user journey, and every sub-brand under one cohesive roof.
My Role
Lead Designer
Scope
Full Website Redesign
Deliverables
Design Handoff · 16 Page Types
Markets
Canada · United States
THE CHALLENGE
Steele Auto Group isn't a single dealership — it's an ecosystem. 60+ locations spanning Nova Scotia to Texas, operating under multiple sub-brands: Steele Leasing, Steele On-Demand, Steele Certified Pre-Owned, Steele Wheels, and East Coast International Trucks.
The old site was built for a smaller company. It couldn't handle the scale, the variety of user intents, or the brand complexity that had grown up around it. Someone buying a truck, booking a service appointment, and applying for financing all ended up in the same confused digital space.
The goal: a single, scalable system that makes all of that feel unified, premium, and effortless — no matter which dealership you walk into first.
Design Audit
Before a single pixel was placed, the existing site was audited against core UX principles, brand strategy, and the specific needs of a 60+ dealership group operating across two countries. What we found wasn't just visual — it was structural. The problems ran deep, from information architecture to missing brand identity. These six issues shaped every decision in the redesign.
No Primary Intent
Sales, Service, and Finance compete as equals with no hierarchy to guide users toward their goal.
Navigation Overload
Three competing layers of links. Booking a service appointment takes multiple clicks just to find the entry point.
Weak Visual Heirarchy
"Welcome to Steele" is a greeting, not a value proposition. The hero says nothing about what Steele offers or why it matters.
Zero Brand Identity
Interchangeable with any generic auto dealer template. No visual language, no premium positioning, nothing that signals market leadership.
CTA Profilifiration
Eight equal-weight links fight for the same attention. When everything is a CTA, nothing converts.
Sub-brand Invisibility
Steele Leasing, Certified Pre-Owned, Steele Wheels — none of it surfaces. The group's full scale is completely invisible.
THE TRANSFORMATION
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
JP was excellent to work with. His knowledge, creativity, and attention to detail made the entire process seamless. He seemed to intuitively understand our vision from the start and translated it into a website that perfectly reflected our brand.
His focus on brand consistency and user experience resulted in a final product that exceeded our expectations.
I highly recommend JP to anyone looking for an exceptional website designer.
Christina Wood
Director of Marketing & Communications - Steele Auto Group
THE APPROACH
01
Intent-first
Architecture
Rebuilt the navigation around the three core user intents: Sales, Service, and Finance, not internal org structure. Every path has a clear destination, zero dead ends.
02
Sub-brand
Cohesion
Steele Leasing, On-Demand, Certified Pre-Owned, and Steele Wheels each get a distinct page identity. Related but differentiated, a system that can absorb new brands without fragmenting.
03
Premium From
Page One
Deep navy, intentional typography, and zero visual clutter establish trust before a customer reads a single line of copy. The design earns confidence the moment a page loads.
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