Overview
The Scotch Whisky Experience is one of Edinburgh’s most prominent visitor attractions, offering immersive whisky tours, tastings, and educational experiences in the heart of the city.
Working as part of the team at Primate, I contributed to the transformation of their digital experience following a significant brand repositioning, with a particular focus on improving the booking journey and ongoing optimisation of the platform.
The Challenge
Following a comprehensive rebrand led by the agency’s Creative Director, the digital experience needed to match a more modern, premium positioning.
The existing booking journey, particularly on mobile, created friction for users trying to compare tour options and make decisions. With a wide range of experiences at different price points, clarity and ease of comparison were essential.
In addition, a large proportion of visitors are international, with many non-English speakers accessing the site. The experience needed to communicate clearly and efficiently across languages, often in time-sensitive, on-the-go contexts.
Approach
Working within Primate, I focused on UX design and continuous optimisation of the platform.
Mobile-First Booking Experience
We approached the redesign mobile-first, recognising that a large proportion of users were discovering and booking experiences on their phones whilst moving around the city.
A key improvement was the introduction of horizontally scrollable tour cards, allowing users to easily compare different experiences, pricing tiers, and inclusions without navigating between multiple pages. This created a more fluid, intuitive way to browse and evaluate options.
The booking journey was simplified overall, reducing friction and making it easier for users to move from exploration to purchase with confidence.
Designing for International Audiences
To better support non-English speakers, we introduced a set of condensed, purpose-built translated pages. Rather than directly mirroring the full site, these pages focused on clearly communicating the core offer and key decisions as efficiently as possible.
This allowed users to quickly understand and select an experience, before continuing into the on-site journey, where multilingual support is provided through translation headsets during the tours. The result is a more coherent end-to-end experience across both digital and physical touchpoints.
Iteration & Ongoing Development
Rather than treating the launch as a fixed endpoint, we continued to evolve the platform through regular iteration cycles.
This included multiple rounds of UX refinement based on user behaviour and feedback, as well as the introduction of new features. One example was an interactive digital whisky menu for the bar, designed to enhance the on-site experience and extend the brand into a more engaging, digital touchpoint.
Alongside this, we made ongoing improvements across the site to maintain clarity, usability, and alignment with the brand.
Outcome
The result is a more modern, flexible digital platform that better reflects the elevated brand and supports a smoother, more intuitive booking experience, particularly on mobile.
By simplifying comparison, reducing friction, and better supporting international audiences, the platform makes it easier for visitors to explore and select the right experience. The iterative approach has also ensured the site continues to evolve, supporting both customer needs and the organisation’s broader ambitions.
Credits
Client: The Scotch Whisky Experience
Agency: Primate