Murphy Website Redesign | Unified Digital Presence

Murphy, an international leader in engineering and construction with operations across the UK, Ireland, and North America, sought to unify their digital presence.

Their vision, rooted in the “One Murphy” ethos, called for a single cohesive platform to consolidate their existing regional websites. This platform needed to embody their values, showcase their expertise, and provide an exceptional user experience for a diverse audience.

To bring this vision to life, Murphy partnered with Hydra Creative to create a transformative digital experience. Together, we prioritised user journeys, accessibility, and modern design best practices.

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The Challenges

Murphy faced several challenges with their existing digital presence. Their separate websites for the UK and Ireland diluted their brand identity and made navigation unnecessarily complex. Additionally, the platform had to address the needs of multiple user groups, including clients, employees, prospective employees, and supply chain partners.

The outdated content management system (CMS) further compounded the issue, making updates cumbersome. Poor mobile responsiveness on their legacy websites also hindered usability, which was critical for engaging their audiences effectively.

Objectives

Murphy outlined clear goals for the project. They wanted to merge their existing websites into one unified platform that reflected their brand and sector expertise while maintaining the distinct regional identities of their UK, Ireland and North America Teams.

Key priorities included enhancing mobile usability, developing an accessible and user-friendly platform, and adhering to Murphy’s brand guidelines to showcase their position as market leaders. Finally, they required a scalable and intuitive CMS to streamline content management going forward.

Our Approach

Hydra Creative adopted a collaborative and strategic approach, working closely with Murphy’s internal team to ensure success at every stage.

The project began with a discovery phase, where a collaborative workshop helped identify key user needs and goals. Murphy’s detailed user stories served as the foundation for this work. From there, we developed an intuitive, user-focused design that incorporated UX and UI design best practice, while aligning with Murphy’s brand guidelines.

Accessibility was a key focus throughout. Prior to engaging with Hydra, Murphy commissioned an independent accessibility report on their existing website to understand how to improve it to be accessible to users of all abilities. Our team utilised this independent report as well as our own expertise to deliver a website that is accessible and user friendly.

Content from both legacy websites was seamlessly integrated into the new platform, with additional sections created for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities, regional histories, investment updates, as well as significant development of the careers section.

We agreed to use WordPress as the CMS due to its flexibility, ease of use, and future-proofing capabilities, and adopted a mobile-first strategy, ensuring fast load times and optimal performance across devices.

Key Features

The final website was designed with several standout features to address Murphy’s needs and enhance user experience. A dynamic projects section was implemented, allowing users to filter by sector and region, with shareable URLs to support bid submissions. Regional history pages were created to celebrate Murphy’s legacy and achievements across the UK, Ireland, and North America, highlighting their impact in these areas.

To showcase Murphy’s commitment to sustainability and governance, a dedicated ESG section was introduced, structured to present information in a clear and digestible manner. The careers section was significantly improved, offering a seamless user journey for applicants while carefully integrating with Murphy’s existing careers portal to ensure a consistent experience.

A comprehensive news hub now consolidates updates from all locations, with the ability to filter content by sector and region. Additionally, bespoke social media integration ensures live updates from LinkedIn and Instagram are automatically displayed on the site, blending seamlessly with the website’s aesthetic.

"Through working with Hydra, Murphy now has a modern website offering a window into our One Murphy approach and the sectors in which we are delivering world-class infrastructure. Packed with content and case studies covering our teams in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA it will act as a core tool for our communications activities for years to come."

The Results

The redesigned platform successfully unified Murphy’s digital presence under the “One Murphy” ethos. The new website delivers improved brand cohesion, making it easier for users to access relevant information quickly and effectively, which boosts engagement and satisfaction.

Mobile performance saw significant improvements, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement. Accessibility features have made the platform more inclusive, while the intuitive CMS allows Murphy’s team to manage content efficiently.

Security was also a top priority. Rigorous third-party penetration testing ensured the platform met all security requirements before its launch, providing Murphy with confidence that their new digital presence was protected.