Industry
Ecommerce / Heritage Retail
Client
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces: Design Modernisation
Modernising heritage retail with systematic design
Historic Royal Palaces manages multiple iconic locations: the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and more. Each has a distinct brand identity but shares a common ecommerce platform. Their existing digital shop reflected these palaces' prestige but lacked modern UX patterns and accessibility standards. As UI Lead, I modernised the complete ecommerce experience by creating a flexible design system. It accommodates each palace's unique visual identity while maintaining consistency across the platform. I worked at the intersection of HRP's ecommerce and brand teams. I created a full UI language in Figma. This allows different palace brands to share a technical foundation while preserving their individual character. The project focused on responsive design, WCAG compliance, and creating a component architecture that scales as new palaces or experiences are added to the platform.
A flexible foundation for heritage retail at scale
Launched in late 2025, the new design system balances HRP's need for brand flexibility with the operational benefits of a unified component library. The new online shop maintains its distinct historical identity while sharing optimised checkout flows, navigation patterns, and accessibility features. The design I created allows updates to deploy consistently across all the site without rebuilding individual interfaces. This systematic approach means HRP can introduce new updates or seasonal campaigns while maintaining both brand integrity and technical efficiency. The mobile-first responsive design ensures that international visitors can browse and purchase with ease, regardless of device. A significant portion of HRP's audience travels from abroad. As the platform matures, this foundation will support HRP's goals for continued digital growth. Key Outcomes: • Unified design system serving multiple palace brands • Token-based architecture for scalable brand customisation • WCAG AA accessibility compliance • Mobile-first responsive design • Scalable foundation for future additions and seasonal campaigns
