Labs / Field notes · Updated 2026-10-02
Start with the business, not the homepage
A redesign that starts with the business, not the homepage, changes the structure of the site before any page is designed.
In useRunning in our own work and in client work. Delivered through Lehvel engagements, not as self-serve software.
What we asked and what we found
Every entry answers the same eight questions, in this order.
Question
For a business with a complex product catalog, what does Business Truth discovery change before design begins?
Why it matters
Most redesigns start with a moodboard. The result looks new and says the same unstructured things. We are running the Lehvel method on a real client: discovery, Business Truth, site structure, then design and build.
State
In use Running in our own work and in client work. Delivered through Lehvel engagements, not as self-serve software.
What we built or tested
- A lasting client file: discovery notes, product structure, Business Truth, brand principles, a working site structure, design and build briefs, and updates drawn from meetings.
- A way of organizing a messy catalog so a customer, or an AI, can find their way.
Evidence
- Method
- Business Truth discovery → information architecture → redesign and development → ongoing evolution
- Launched
- Production site live 2026-09-17; GA4 and Search Console instrumented 2026-09-23
- First result
- First organic-search website lead 12 days after launch; it became a booked opportunity after immediate follow-up (reported by Lehvel, 2026-09-29)
What we learned
- Discovery changed the site structure before a single page was designed. How the catalog is organized, not the homepage, was the hard problem.
Limitations
- One lead is one event, not a conversion rate. Order value and revenue are not recorded here.
- Supplier and product details stay private. Published with the client's permission.
What changes next
Keep recording leads, organic landing pages and booked work with dates, then publish the full story on the Fieldwork page once there is a trajectory, not a single event.
Failed tests are published as results. A state on this page describes today, not plans.
Next in Labs
- Next: How owners actually manage their digital presence
Five fixed questions, then let the owner talk.
Research
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