Reported reduction in loading time from the project measurements.
Case study · Blackwell Global Investments · 2020
Website redesign and performance optimisation for a global financial-services brand.
Completed while working as Head of IT at Blackwell Global Investments, this project combined a responsive website redesign with performance optimisation and SEO-aware implementation.
Project context
A historical project, documented with the design produced at the time.
This work was completed in 2020 while Adrian Iscru was Head of IT at Blackwell Global Investments. The website needed a stronger visual experience and meaningful performance improvements for an international financial-services audience.
Adrian left Blackwell Global in 2024. The current live website may have a different design, structure and technology, so this case study documents the earlier project contribution rather than claiming responsibility for later work.
See the 2020 Project DesignReported outcomes
Measured improvement alongside a clearer customer experience.
Reported GTmetrix-grade improvement for relevant European and UK test environments.
Redesigned experience adapted across desktop, tablet and mobile layouts.
These are historical reported project results. Performance measurements can vary by page, device, test location, connection, server conditions and tool version. They do not represent a guarantee for the current live Blackwell Global website or another website.
Project screens
The Blackwell Global design delivered during the project.
These screens document the website design associated with the 2020 redesign project. They are not screenshots of the organisation’s current live site.
Work completed
Design, performance and technical quality working together.
Website redesign
Redesigned the page layout, visual presentation and content hierarchy to create a more polished, user-friendly experience for trading and investment audiences.
Responsive implementation
Adapted the experience across desktop and mobile layouts, helping key trading, investing and account information remain accessible on smaller screens.
Performance optimisation
Investigated performance bottlenecks, improved front-end and back-end implementation, reduced unnecessary resource overhead and tested changes iteratively.
SEO-aware development
Maintained a clear and search-friendly page structure while improving performance, usability, navigation and the route to key customer actions.
Testing and debugging
Reviewed page behaviour, investigated loading issues and compared relevant before-and-after performance results during the optimisation work.
Project delivery
Delivered a redesigned interface, optimised code and resources, performance reporting, technical documentation and maintenance guidance.
Approach
A redesign focused on the visitor experience and technical foundations.
The aim was not simply a more attractive page or a better testing score. The work combined visual quality, clearer journeys, performance and maintainability.
01
Assess
Review the existing site, visitor journey, loading behaviour and main technical constraints.
02
Redesign
Create a clearer interface, stronger content hierarchy and responsive layouts aligned with the brand.
03
Optimise
Address performance bottlenecks through front-end and back-end improvements, asset handling and code optimisation.
04
Test and document
Review the changed experience, compare relevant results and provide notes for launch and future maintenance.
Project scope
Built for a complex, international financial-services website.
Customer-facing clarity
The design brought together trading, investing, account-type, partner and market-information content in a clearer, more navigable presentation.
Trust and business context
Trust content, awards, legal information, risk messaging and supporting navigation formed part of a complete financial-services website experience.
Technical responsibility
The work covered design, development, optimisation, testing and coordination as part of the Head of IT role at the time.
Current-site clarification
The organisation’s current website has changed since the project. The external link below is provided only as a reference to its current presence.
Project notes
Putting the historical results in context.
The case study is designed to be transparent about the date of the work, the available evidence and the difference between the project website and the current live version.
When was this project completed?
The redesign and performance optimisation work documented here was completed in 2020 while Adrian Iscru was Head of IT at Blackwell Global Investments.
Is the current Blackwell Global website the same version?
No. Adrian left the organisation in 2024, and the website has since evolved. The supplied project screens show the earlier design associated with this case study.
Are the performance figures current?
No. The 18-second to 1.2-second loading-time figure and the F-to-A GTmetrix improvement are reported historical project measurements, not claims about the current live website.
Why are original GTmetrix screenshots not shown?
The original performance reports are not currently available. The figures are therefore presented clearly as reported project outcomes, while the supplied design screens document the historical redesign work.
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