Powerful .UK domain search. A clear path to more domains sold, and fewer abandoned baskets.

Our discovery process went beyond the brief to get to the bottom of the motivations, scope, challenges and opportunities within the project. Our online workshop process was the perfect forum to fill in any gaps before we could set out to build the structure for the website.

That structure was aligned to the website’s three core functions: search, manage, learn. This meant planning content flows designed to guide users from domain search to aftercare, with the learning content becoming a natural extension of ownership rather than what was a pre-sales driver.

This clarity helped shape an information architecture that felt intuitive and logical, rather than fragmented.

There were some key departures in this project that differed from our usual project rhythm which meant we needed to learn and adapt quickly.

Nominet had an in-progress redesign of nominet.uk underway, and we were handed its Figma modules to use as the foundations for our design work.

Nominet were also using WordPress’s own Gutenberg editor as the back-end build system for this and for their main .uk website. Gutenberg builds pages out of individual blocks that each decide their own layout, so there’s no single underlying grid keeping everything aligned the way traditional WordPress templates do (and the way we normally work). This meant the translation into our own grid system became a substantial challenge, and our designers and developers had to work in lockstep to ensure structure, spacing and responsiveness came together cleanly.

On top of this we also needed to integrate sophisticated tooling: a domain search tool that suggested alternatives when one was unavailable, and an Learning Management System powered by LearnDash to deliver richer learning pathways.

Together, these shaped the backbone of the new unified site.

The design language we inherited was modern and attractive, but had not been constructed for real-world layouts, and needed to map to our proprietary design system in order to be deployed effectively. To get it out there working right, to our high standards of quality and build, we needed it to flex to our system first.

So we rebuilt it on stable, scalable grids that respected the new identity while being functional within the Gutenberg editor. Accessibility, as always, was front of mind, with careful attention to colour, contrast, interactive states and text hierarchy.

The resulting design system needed to hold up to whether a user was comparing domain options or working through a troubleshooting guide. The result is a clean, steady interface that avoids visual noise and gets users to answers quickly.

This project leaned heavily on WordPress, which is exactly where we thrive.

WordPress, in our hands, becomes a dependable marketing platform with enterprise-grade behaviours. Gutenberg allowed editors to manage rich content flexibly, despite its idiosyncrasies with grid inheritance and layout structure.

LearnDash offers the e-learning backbone, transforming a standard WordPress installation into a confident LMS. And finally, the domain search and alternative-suggestion engine required bespoke integration, ensuring accuracy, speed and a smooth path to purchase.

The new .UK Domain site brings search, management and learning together in one behaviour led journey. Domain search is faster and more helpful, with suggested alternatives when a name is taken and clearer routes forward instead of dead ends. Domain management and support are easier to navigate, with a dedicated troubleshooting area and structured FAQs. The LearnDash driven learning environment offers rich guidance and tailored e learning courses that support people after purchase rather than leaving new owners to fend for themselves.

Most importantly, the journey now reflects how people actually buy and manage domains, not old assumptions. Visitors can move from search to purchase, into management and support without hopping between sites or channels.

Purchase, manage, learn. One pathway, one brand, one website. A platform that reduces abandoned baskets, sells more .UK domains online and can grow with Nominet as their content and services evolve.