Redesign vs refresh: when to rebrand vs when to tidy

Why this matters

Your website might need a complete redesign, or it might just need a refresh. The right choice saves time, money, and avoids unnecessary disruption.

A redesign is a full rebuild with new design, structure, and often rebranding. A refresh improves what you have: content, performance, accessibility, or visual updates without changing the core structure.

When to refresh (tidy what you have)

A refresh makes sense when the foundations are solid and you need specific improvements.

Good foundations

• Structure works: Navigation, page organisation, and URLs make sense.
• Performance is decent: Pages load in under 4 seconds, even if not perfect.
• Codebase is stable: Updates do not break things unexpectedly.
• Content is mostly good: Messaging is clear, just needs updating or improving.

Specific improvements needed

• Visual updates: New colours, fonts, or imagery without changing layout.
• Content improvements: Rewriting, restructuring, or updating existing pages.
• Performance optimisation: Faster load times, better Core Web Vitals [1]Source 1 .
• Accessibility fixes: Targeted improvements to meet WCAG standards [3]Source 3 .
• Mobile improvements: Better mobile layout without changing desktop structure.

If your foundations are good and you need specific improvements, a refresh is usually faster and cheaper than a redesign.

When to redesign (rebrand completely)

A redesign makes sense when the foundations are broken or the site cannot support your goals.

Broken foundations

• Structure does not work: Navigation is confusing, pages are hard to find, URLs are messy.
• Performance is capped: The platform or codebase limits how fast you can go.
• Codebase is fragile: Updates break things, or you avoid updates because they feel risky.
• Content structure is wrong: Pages do not match how you sell or how people browse.

Goals the site cannot support

• Rebranding: New brand identity, logo, colours, tone that needs a complete visual overhaul.
• New business direction: You sell different things, serve different customers, or have different goals.
• Platform change: Moving from site builder to custom build, or WordPress to static site.
• Major feature needs: E-commerce, booking systems, or other functionality the current site cannot support.

If your foundations are broken or the site cannot support your goals, a redesign is usually the better long-term choice.

Quick decision framework

Answer these questions:

Foundation questions

• Does the site structure work, or is navigation confusing?
• Is performance decent, or is it capped by the platform?
• Is the codebase stable, or do updates break things?
• Does the content structure match your business, or is it outdated?

If you answer "broken" or "does not work" to two or more, lean redesign. If you answer "works" or "decent" to most, lean refresh.

Goal questions

• Do you need a complete rebrand, or just visual updates?
• Has your business direction changed significantly?
• Do you need features the current site cannot support?
• Are you changing platforms (site builder to custom, WordPress to static)?

If you answer "yes" to two or more, lean redesign. If you answer "no" to most, lean refresh.

Cost comparison

Refresh costs

• Visual updates: £500-2,000 (colours, fonts, imagery)
• Content improvements: £500-2,000 (rewriting, restructuring)
• Performance fixes: £500-2,000 (optimisation, script removal)
• Accessibility fixes: £500-2,000 (targeted improvements)
• Total (typical): £2,000-8,000

Redesign costs

• Design and build: £2,000-15,000+ (depending on complexity)
• Content migration: £500-2,000 (if reusing content)
• Redirects and SEO: £300-1,000 (preserving search value) [2]Source 2
• Total (typical): £2,800-18,000+

Refresh is usually cheaper upfront. But if you need to refresh repeatedly, or if fixes require workarounds, redesign can be better value long-term.

Time comparison

Refresh timeline

• Visual updates: 1-2 weeks
• Content improvements: 2-4 weeks
• Performance fixes: 1-2 weeks
• Total (typical): 4-8 weeks

Redesign timeline

• Planning and design: 2-4 weeks
• Build: 4-8 weeks
• Content and testing: 2-3 weeks
• Total (typical): 8-15 weeks

Refresh is usually faster. But if you need multiple rounds of refresh, or if refresh keeps breaking, redesign can be faster overall.

Making the decision

Use this process:

1. Assess foundations: Does the structure work? Is performance decent? Is the codebase stable?
2. Identify goals: What do you need? Visual updates, content improvements, rebranding, new features?
3. Estimate costs: What would refresh cost? What would redesign cost?
4. Consider long-term: Will refresh solve problems permanently, or will you hit the same issues again?
5. Get a second opinion: If you are unsure, ask a developer to assess the site.

What refresh work includes

• Visual updates: new colours, fonts, imagery, layout tweaks.
• Content improvements: rewriting, restructuring, updating pages.
• Performance optimisation: faster load times, better Core Web Vitals.
• Accessibility fixes: targeted improvements to meet standards.
• Mobile improvements: better mobile layout and experience.

What redesign work includes

• Complete visual overhaul: new design, brand identity, layout.
• Structure rebuild: new navigation, page organisation, URLs.
• Content migration: move and improve existing content, create new content.
• Platform change: move to new CMS or platform if needed.
• Redirects and SEO: preserve search value with proper redirects.
• Testing and launch: thorough testing before going live.

When to get help

If you are unsure whether to refresh or redesign:

• Get an assessment: A developer can review your site and recommend the best path. See website rescue: when to fix vs rebuild for a similar decision framework.
• Compare options: Get quotes for both refresh and redesign, then compare costs and timelines.
• Consider your goals: What do you need the site to do? Can the current site support that, or do you need a redesign?

For more on the rebuild vs fix decision, see website rebuild vs fix: a decision guide.

Summary

Refresh when foundations are solid and you need specific improvements (visual, content, performance, accessibility). Redesign when foundations are broken or the site cannot support your goals (rebranding, new direction, platform change, major features).

Refresh is usually cheaper and faster upfront, but redesign can be better value long-term if refresh requires workarounds or keeps breaking.

If you need help deciding or implementing refresh or redesign work, see website build services or get in touch to discuss your situation.