Castle Building Supplies

Lead UX/UI Designer (at ExpressLabs)

Responsible for full website redesign, page architecture, interface systems, visual design, and the end-to-end UX/UI for the Castle Store Locator App (iOS + Android). Worked closely with developers, PMs, and the client team across multi-month agile sprints.

Castle Building Supplies partnered with our team to overhaul their digital presence across both web and mobile. As a major Canadian buying group with hundreds of member stores, they needed a modern website that clearly communicated their offering and a companion store locator app that made it easy for customers to find local retailers.

 

I was responsible for leading the UX/UI design for the full website redesign and the Castle Store Locator mobile application.

• Full website redesign

• New design system & interface guidelines

• Mobile app UI (iOS + Android) — Store Locator

• UX for store search, filtering, and map interactions

• Collaboration with developers & stakeholders

• Multi-round client reviews

• Long-term design support throughout the build

 

The project spanned several months, from early discovery and user flow mapping to final production-ready UI.

Castle’s existing digital experience was outdated and inconsistent. The website lacked visual hierarchy, modern navigation, and clear pathways for homeowners, contractors, and store owners.

The store locator tool — a crucial part of their ecosystem — needed to be completely redesigned and packaged as a standalone mobile app with clearer UX.

 

Key issues included:

 

• A dated visual identity

• Limited mobile usability

• Disconnected store locator flow

• Inconsistent branding across touchpoints

• No unified design system

1. Website Redesign
 
I developed a clean, structured interface using a bold but functional design language — focusing on clarity, strong typography, and consistent visual hierarchy. The site needed to serve multiple user types, so the UX prioritized:
 

• Clear navigation

• Straightforward product & service discovery

• Easy access to local store info

• Scannable content and improved readability

 

2. Store Locator Mobile App
 
The app required a simple, intuitive user journey — fast search, quick filtering, and a smooth map experience.
 
I designed:
 

• A modern onboarding flow

• A clean search + filter interface

• A map-first layout

• Location detail screens with hours, services, and contact info

 
The app was built for iOS and Android and is now available in the App Store.
 
 
3. Design System
 
Both the website and the app were unified through a shared design system:
 

• Grid + spacing system

• Color tokens

• Typography hierarchy

• Modular components

• Button & input styles

• Cards, banners, and form layouts

 
This allowed the development team to move faster and maintain visual consistency long-term.

The final product delivered Castle a modern, cohesive digital presence:

 

• A redesigned website that feels professional, functional, and brand-aligned

• A clean, fast Store Locator app now used by thousands of customers

• A scalable UI system used across both web and mobile

• Improved accessibility and mobile usability

• A clearer digital identity for a long-standing Canadian brand

 

The project helped elevate Castle’s digital experience while giving internal teams tools they can grow with.