DCSA

Becoming the "SWIFT" of global shipping

Role: Senior UX strategy & product design

Client: DCSA (Digital Shipping Container Association)

summary

The Problem

The container shipping industry moves nearly 90% of global goods, yet the infrastructure behind it remains incredibly fragmented, relying on manual, paper-heavy legacy systems. The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA)—a neutral, non-profit founded by the world’s 9 largest carriers (including Maersk and MSC)—was created to fix this by developing open digital standards. However, they faced a massive industry adoption barrier. Technical documents were too dense, business leaders (like Shippers and Banks) couldn't see the direct ROI, and the overarching mission was getting lost in the complexity.

The Mission

To architect an "experience-led" digital ecosystem that positioned DCSA as the de facto standards body—the "SWIFT of the shipping industry." The goal was to translate deeply complex technical frameworks into clear, actionable business value for executives, while simultaneously providing frictionless, direct access to code for IT implementation teams.

The Outcome

We launched a dual-ecosystem comprising a corporate website and a global developer portal, both built on a scalable, modular component library. By deeply integrating user research, we shifted the platform from a confusing technical library into a guided, role-based system. This drastically reduced the time-to-integration for developers, strengthened trust with shippers and banks, and gave DCSA’s internal team the operational freedom to scale.

TARGET GROUP SEPARATION

Splitting business and tech

Through interviews with leaders across shipping lines, banks, and ports, we uncovered a major roadblock: the business vision and the technical instructions were tangled together in the same place. IT teams just wanted the raw code, while business managers needed the "big picture" (like fuel savings and efficiency).

What we did:

We split the experience in two. We built a main corporate site focused purely on the "Why"—translating complex standards into clear ROI and success stories for decision-makers. At the same time, we created a separate Developer Portal, giving IT teams direct, one-click access to the code they needed.

wAYFINDING

The "anti-search" pivot

Early in the design process, we assumed a powerful, global search bar was the best way to handle DCSA's massive volume of documentation. To validate this, we ran qualitative pre-tests on two different UX conceptual routes with actual users. User testing quickly proved our assumption wrong—users felt overwhelmed and lost because the standards were too new for them to know which keywords to search for.

What we did:

We stopped relying on search. Instead, we built a clear, structured menu and a prominent "Your Needs" section on the homepage. By organising the content based on who the user was (e.g., "I am a Shipper" or "I am a Bank"), users stopped guessing. We kept the search bar just as a backup, turning a confusing library into an easy, guided experience.

TRANSLATION

Selling the vision before the tech

In our interviews, we learned that Shippers wouldn't adopt a new standard just because the technology was available. They needed to understand the business value first, without getting bogged down in technical details.

What we did:

We flipped the way the pages told the story. We led with strong infographics and statistics to highlight the business benefits before introducing any of the technical standards. To stop the pages from feeling like massive walls of text, we tucked the heavy details into drop-down sections. This kept the layout clean and made sure the "Join the Movement" button was always easy to find without endless scrolling.

ARCHITECTURE

The build once, use twice

To make DCSA the trusted leader in the industry, the jump from reading about a standard to actually coding it had to be completely smooth. But because DCSA is a small team with a massive global mission, they needed a platform that could grow easily without constantly relying on an agency.

What we did:

We built their digital platform like a set of Lego blocks. Instead of starting from scratch every time, we created a library of reusable design parts for their main website in 2023. When it was time to build the Developer Portal in 2024, we simply reused those same blocks. This allowed us to launch a huge new product in half the time, while making sure both sites looked perfectly consistent and professional.

REFLECTION

The Business Impact

Building Authority: We turned a confusing technical library into a clear, trusted platform that the whole shipping industry relies on.
Speeding Up Adoption: By giving developers their own dedicated portal, we made it easier than ever for new companies to start using DCSA's tech.
Saving Time and Money: The reusable design system means DCSA's internal team can manage and update the site themselves, cutting down on agency costs.

The Takeaway

The biggest lesson here was listening to the users instead of relying on our own assumptions. When we realised people didn't want to search for answers, we pivoted to a menu that guided them by their job title—and it changed everything. Ultimately, we didn't just design a website; we built a scalable system that helps a massive, paper-heavy industry finally move into the digital age.