GF Smith, Britain’s most prestigious paper company are evolving for the digital era — appealing to new generations and scaling internationally, while protecting and enhancing their century-old legacy.
Known for its curated collection of premium papers, GF Smith is beloved by designers worldwide. But in the UK, its core market was shrinking — shaped by generational shifts, the rise of digital, Brexit, and Covid. Meanwhile, international demand was rising, exposing a fragmented brand and outdated digital experience.
GF Smith engaged TEMPLO to redefine its positioning, and Made by ON to translate this into a digital transformation. Together, we set out to build a global creative platform that inspires, educates, and sells.
Reimagining digital discovery & inspiration
GF Smith’s website needed to move beyond ecommerce — becoming an immersive creative platform that inspires, educates, and connects designers while showcasing the possibilities of paper.
Our discovery phase combined stakeholder interviews, customer workshops, and competitive research. Sales teams, partners, and designers all highlighted the same need: balance inspiration with clarity. GF Smith’s product range was sprawling, with Colorplan underrepresented, while content lacked consistency across UK and international markets.
We defined a new digital role for GF Smith: an online “creative journey” guiding users from dreaming to making. The platform would integrate storytelling, editorial content, and product discovery, making GF Smith not just a supplier, but a partner in creativity.
Simplifying products & elevating brand expression
Clarity and consistency were vital — simplifying a complex catalogue, amplifying the iconic Colorplan range, and ensuring every touchpoint expressed GF Smith’s new brand identity.
We restructured the product hierarchy and created a new tagging model, enabling smarter filtering, richer cross-linking, and improved discoverability. Content was streamlined and rewritten for clarity, making it easier for customers to find and buy.
In parallel, we worked with TEMPLO to translate their bold new identity into a digital experience. Full-bleed textures, immersive animations, and expressive typography brought paper to life online — delivering a digitally tactile interface. Campaigns, editorial hubs, and micro-interactions embedded GF Smith’s brand personality, helping shift perceptions from dusty luxury to vibrant creative partner.
Building a scalable global platform
To support international growth, we rebuilt gfsmith.com with localisation, agility, and performance at its core — ensuring the site could scale globally without losing its soul.
We launched the transformation in phases. A near-term reskin of key pages quickly addressed legacy UX issues and introduced the new brand. Behind the scenes, we rebuilt gfsmith.com on a modern, scalable tech stack with a phased migration plan.
Localised entry experiences in five languages improved regional engagement and SEO, while distributor portals and marketing toolkits empowered global partners. The result: a flexible, high-performing foundation for growth that balances a unified global brand with locally relevant experiences.
Impact
GF Smith’s transformation redefines the heritage brand as a vibrant, digital-first partner. The new platform balances inspiration with utility, simplifying the path to purchase for core products like Colorplan.
Whilst furthering reach with localised tools for global partners, the overhaul has modernised the business, unlocking international growth and ensuring GF Smith thrives.
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