Case Study
Capitoline Intel
Restructuring a bare, underdeveloped site into something more credible, informative, and easier to move through.
UX/UI, Web Design, WP Theme Dev
My Role
8 Weeks
Timeline
Capitoline
Client
Mad Muse Creative (Solo)
Studio
The Project
Overview
Capitoline Intel had been in business for 30 years, but nothing about their web presence reflected that. When the project started, the page was close to bare. A basic menu, a centered video, and not much else to show for three decades of work. My job was to build something that actually matched the company behind it and deliver it as a custom WordPress theme my client could continue growing from.
The challenge: The real difficulty wasn’t adding more content. It was figuring out what the site actually needed to feel credible. More pages and stronger visuals would only get so far if the structure underneath wasn’t built to support a growing business.
The Process
User Journey
The Problem
What Wasn't Working
The site had been live for years but hadn’t really developed. It was still sitting at a starting point the business had long since moved past.
Unstructured First Impression
The original site had an unstyled menu, a centered video, and almost nothing else on the page. There was no information about services, no sense of who the company was for, and no way for a visitor to evaluate whether Capitoline was the right fit for them.
Static Placeholder Content
A static PNG was used as a temporary stand in for a while. It had more information on it, but it wasn’t something people could actually interact with or move through. It was just an image on a screen. For a company that had been around for 30 years, neither version was cutting it.
Research & Discovery
The Key Insight
Fixing the homepage was the obvious starting point, but it wasn’t the whole picture. Capitoline had 30 years of experience and no real place to show it. Adding a blog gave Gary somewhere to share what he knew and gave the site a reason for people to come back. It stopped being a place you visited once and left.
Design
Design Solutions
Content Depth
PROBLEM
The site gave visitors almost nothing to work with. There wasn’t enough on the page to understand the business or feel confident reaching out.
SOLUTION
I expanded the homepage and added a blog page to give the site more range, more context, and more staying power.
IMPACT
The online presence finally felt like it matched the company and gave visitors a reason to engage with it.
Service Presentation
PROBLEM
Visitors couldn’t quickly tell what Capitoline did or whether it was the right fit for their hiring needs.
SOLUTION
I built out clearer service sections with stronger supporting copy so the offering was easier to scan and understand.
IMPACT
Visitors had more to work with and a clearer sense of what the company offered before deciding to reach out.
Site Foundation
PROBLEM
The client needed more than a better looking page. He needed something structured that he could actually maintain and build on.
SOLUTION
I delivered the redesign as a custom WordPress theme so the site had a proper foundation rather than just a visual refresh.
IMPACT
He walked away with something more solid and easier to manage, with real room to grow it over time.
Creative Direction
Visual Strategy
The visual direction for Capitoline wasn’t about building a brand from scratch. It was about making the site feel like it had been put together with intention. Cleaner spacing, stronger section breaks, and a more deliberate layout made the content easier to move through and easier to take seriously. The blog gave Gary somewhere to share what he knew and gave visitors a reason to trust the business.
Process
Wireframe to Build
Every section was mapped out before anything was built. The wireframe kept the structure decisions separate from the visual ones, which made the final build faster and more deliberate.
The Blog
Built to Publish
The blog was built as part of the custom WordPress theme. Gary had real expertise to share and needed somewhere to put it. A clean, easy to manage blog gave him that without needing a developer every time he wanted to publish something.
Key Design Tradeoff
Stock photography was the only option here. Gary had almost no usable images, so I sourced and selected photos that fit the tone of the brand without looking generic. The goal was to make them feel intentional rather than placeholder, but there’s always a ceiling on how far stock can take you. Authentic photography would have made the site feel more specific to the business.
The Result
The New Homepage
Outcomes
The Impact
What Changed
→ Replaced a bare, mostly static page with a site people could actually move through
→ Built out the content so the site could better reflect the business and its services
→ Added a blog so Gary had a place to share more of the company’s experience over time
→ Delivered it as a custom WordPress theme the client could actually manage and build on
The business was established long before the site reflected it. This project turned a sparse website into something more complete, more useful, and more in step with the company behind it.
In Gary's Words
“I purchased a 30 year old company that needed a lot of upgrading. I tried to do what I could on my own but just could not find the time or learn enough to get my online presence where it needed to be. I learned of Mad Muse Creative through mutual friends and was feeling desperate. I contacted Michelle and immediately started to feel better. From go, I felt that she was listening to me. I must have sounded like a mess on the phone and she was able to calmly ask the right questions to guide me to where I needed to be. I didn’t even know where I needed to be! With her patience (so much patience!) we were able to produce an online presence that matches anything my competitors have out there but even better represents my company’s values and vibe. Thank you so much Michelle!”
— Gary Czaplewski , President, Capitoline