Creating an optimally performing website for Digit

The digital transformation of the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (Digit) achieved a perfect performance milestone: a 100/100 score across all Core Web Vitals and a Grade A Carbon Rating. Delivered in a tight timeframe of just three to four months, the project resulted in a lightning-fast, eco-friendly platform that minimises energy consumption while maximising user engagement. The Challenge As a research centre providing critical evidence on the digital transformation of work, Digit required a digital presence that reflected its own expertise. However, their existing site was hindered by an outdated design, a confusing user journey, and poorly organised content. The legacy Avada page builder made content management inefficient, and the lack of intuitive navigation made it difficult for policymakers and businesses to access key research. The Strategy Contra Agency focused on a performance-first architecture combined with a complete brand refresh. The core strategy involved: Restructuring Content: Reorganising the site around primary research themes and programs to create a more intuitive hierarchy. Technical Migration: Moving from the restrictive Avada builder to the native WordPress Gutenberg editor for enhanced flexibility and speed. Dynamic UX: Implementing AJAX-powered filtering to allow app-like browsing where content updates instantly without page reloads. The Execution To achieve the Grade A Carbon Rating and perfect performance scores, the team streamlined code, optimised media assets, and implemented multi-layer caching. This ensured the site was not only responsive across all devices but also environmentally responsible. The new Gutenberg setup empowered the Digit team to manage their abundance of content independently, while the AJAX filters gave users seamless access to the centre’s extensive research library. The Result The final product is a visually stunning, high-utility sales engine for research. By simplifying complex digital challenges, Contra Agency provided Digit with a modern, sustainable platform that successfully bridges the gap between complex academic data and user-centric accessibility. As noted by Digit’s Communications Manager, the agency’s expertise was invaluable in transforming a significant volume of content into an intuitive, high-performance website.