Overview
The marketing website redesign for coeo incasso was a project focused on creating a modern, accessible web presence that accurately represents the company's commitment to inclusive debt collection practices. Building on the insights from previous projects, this website needed to communicate coeo's values while providing clear information about services and building trust with potential clients and debtors.
The main focus of this redesign was to give coeo a more fintech-oriented visual identity while maintaining the personal, human-centered approach that sets them apart. The goal was to align the website with coeo's branding in Germany, creating a cohesive brand experience across markets. Additionally, the website needed to speak to different sectors individually, providing tailored content and pathways for various industries and audiences.
The existing website no longer reflected coeo's evolved approach to debt collection—one that prioritizes accessibility, clarity, and support. My goal was to create a website that balances modern fintech aesthetics with authentic, personal storytelling, showcases their inclusive practices, and provides clear pathways for different audiences to find the information they need.
The Challenge
The original marketing website suffered from several issues:
Outdated messaging: The website didn't reflect coeo's commitment to inclusive debt collection practices and vulnerable user support that had been developed through research and previous projects.
Unclear value proposition: Visitors struggled to understand what made coeo different from other debt collection agencies, and how their approach benefited both clients and debtors.
Poor information architecture: Different audiences (clients, debtors, partners) and sectors had difficulty finding relevant information, leading to confusion and missed opportunities. The website didn't address the unique needs of different industries.
Brand misalignment: The website didn't align with coeo's German branding, creating inconsistency across markets and missing opportunities for brand cohesion.
Accessibility gaps: The website wasn't designed with accessibility in mind, which contradicted coeo's values around inclusive design. This was especially problematic for debtors who needed accessible information and support.
Mobile experience: The website didn't work well on mobile devices, despite many users accessing it on smartphones.
SEO limitations: The website wasn't optimized for search engines, limiting discoverability and organic traffic.
Design Process
Research & Discovery
I began by understanding the different audiences and sectors that visit the website:
Potential clients across sectors: Companies from different industries (retail, utilities, healthcare, etc.) considering coeo's services needed sector-specific information about processes, compliance, and results. Each sector has unique needs and concerns that required tailored content and pathways.
Debtors: People with debts needed to understand coeo's approach, find support resources, and access the payment portal. For this audience, inclusive design was even more critical, requiring clear imagery, guidance, and accessibility features like Readspeaker read-aloud functionality.
Partners: Organizations like schuldhulpinstanties and support agencies needed information about collaboration opportunities.
Job seekers: Potential employees needed to understand coeo's mission and values.
Brand alignment research: I analyzed coeo's German branding to ensure visual and messaging consistency across markets while adapting to local needs and regulations.
Design Principles
Based on research, I established design principles:
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Fintech aesthetics with personal touch: Balance modern, professional fintech visual language with warm, human-centered design that reflects coeo's personal approach to debt collection.
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Sector-specific pathways: Create tailored content and navigation for different industries, allowing each sector to find relevant information quickly and feel understood.
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Accessibility first: Design for all users, ensuring WCAG compliance and inclusive practices throughout. For debtors especially, this means clear imagery, guidance, and tools like Readspeaker read-aloud buttons.
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Brand consistency: Align visual identity and messaging with coeo's German branding while maintaining flexibility for local market needs.
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Authentic storytelling: Show coeo's real commitment to inclusive debt collection through case studies, testimonials, and transparent processes.
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Responsive by default: Ensure the website works seamlessly across all devices and screen sizes.
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Trust through transparency: Provide clear information about processes, compliance, and support resources.
Key Features & Solutions
Fintech-Inspired Design with Personal Touch
The website balances modern fintech aesthetics—clean layouts, professional typography, and contemporary color palettes—with warm, human-centered elements that reflect coeo's personal approach. This creates a visual identity that feels both professional and approachable, setting coeo apart from traditional debt collection agencies while maintaining trust and credibility.
Sector-Specific Content and Navigation
I designed the website to speak to different sectors individually, with tailored content pathways for industries like retail, utilities, healthcare, and more. Each sector has dedicated sections that address their specific needs, concerns, and use cases, making it easier for potential clients to see how coeo's services apply to their industry.
Enhanced Accessibility for Debtors
For debtors, inclusive design was even more important. I integrated several accessibility features:
Readspeaker integration: Read-aloud buttons throughout the website allow users to have content read to them, supporting those with reading difficulties, visual impairments, or language barriers.
Clear imagery and guidance: Visual elements are designed to support understanding, with clear icons, illustrations, and guidance that help users navigate and understand information without relying solely on text.
Plain language throughout: All content is written in accessible language, tested for readability, and structured to support comprehension.
Clear Information Architecture
The website is organized around user journeys, with clear pathways for different audiences and sectors to find relevant information quickly. The navigation structure supports both general browsing and specific sector-focused exploration.
Responsive Design
The website is fully responsive, ensuring a consistent and accessible experience across all devices, from mobile phones to large desktop displays.
AI Integration
As part of this project, I worked with partner CM to integrate AI functionality into the website. This includes intelligent content recommendations, automated support features, and enhanced user experience through AI-powered interactions that help users find relevant information more efficiently.
SEO Optimization
The website is built with SEO best practices in mind, including:
- Optimized content structure and metadata
- Semantic HTML and proper heading hierarchy
- Fast load times and performance optimization
- Mobile-first indexing considerations
- Structured data markup
- Content optimization for relevant keywords
This ensures the website is discoverable through search engines and reaches the right audiences organically.
Technical Considerations
WordPress development: The website is built in WordPress, providing a flexible, maintainable content management system that allows coeo's team to update content easily while maintaining design integrity and performance.
Responsive design: The website works seamlessly across all devices, with mobile-first design principles ensuring optimal experience on all screen sizes.
Performance optimization: Fast load times and optimized assets ensure a smooth user experience, which is critical for SEO and user satisfaction.
SEO optimization: Comprehensive SEO strategy including technical SEO, content optimization, structured data, and performance metrics to maximize organic visibility.
Accessibility compliance: Full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance throughout the design and implementation, with special attention to features like Readspeaker integration and clear visual guidance for debtors.
Brand alignment: Design and development work closely with coeo's German branding guidelines to ensure visual and messaging consistency across markets.
Outcomes & Impact
The new marketing website successfully balances fintech aesthetics with coeo's personal approach, creating a modern brand presence that aligns with their German branding while speaking directly to different sectors. The enhanced accessibility features, particularly for debtors, demonstrate coeo's commitment to inclusive design in action.
The SEO optimization and WordPress implementation provide a solid foundation for ongoing content management and organic growth, while the AI integration enhances user experience and helps visitors find relevant information more efficiently.
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced several important lessons:
Balancing aesthetics and values: Creating a fintech look while maintaining a personal approach required careful attention to visual language, tone, and user experience. The balance between professional and approachable is delicate but achievable.
Sector-specific content requires research: Speaking to different sectors individually meant understanding each industry's unique needs, language, and concerns. This required extensive research and collaboration with subject matter experts.
Accessibility is a design feature, not an add-on: Features like Readspeaker and clear visual guidance need to be designed in from the start, not added later. For debtors especially, these features are essential, not optional.
Brand consistency across markets: Aligning with German branding while maintaining flexibility for local needs required careful consideration of which elements should be consistent and which can vary.
AI integration enhances, doesn't replace: Working with partner CM to integrate AI showed that AI features work best when they enhance human-centered design rather than replace it. The AI helps users find information, but the design ensures they understand it.