Project Challenge
The Companies Registration Office is Ireland’s statutory authority for registering companies and business names. Alongside the main CRO site, they also manage the Register of Beneficial Ownership (rbo.gov.ie) and the Registry of Friendly Societies (rfs.gov.ie) — each serving distinct functions but often overlapping audiences.
The existing websites faced several key challenges. Across all three platforms, large volumes of documents and guidance materials made it difficult for users to find what they needed quickly. Many pages were dense with information, making navigation overwhelming — especially for new or infrequent users. Design and content structure were inconsistent across the three sites, and managing each separately through different CMS instances created additional complexity for the CRO’s internal team.
They needed a unified, modern, and manageable solution that could bring clarity to users — and control to the organisation.
The Solution
We designed and developed a new digital ecosystem for the Companies Registration Office, built on a single multisite CMS installation. This unified structure allows the CRO team to manage all three websites — cro.ie, rbo.gov.ie, and rfs.gov.ie — from a single CMS dashboard, streamlining content updates and ensuring consistency across platforms.
To improve usability, we restructured site architecture across all three sites and introduced clear, simplified navigation systems tailored to each audience. We addressed content-heavy pages by implementing smart, user-friendly design patterns — including accordion components, expandable sections, and modular layouts — making dense information easier to scan, digest, and act on.
Design was completely overhauled to establish a clean, accessible, and cohesive visual language. We ensured that each site retained its individual identity while aligning under a shared system of design and interaction. The platform is fully responsive, WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant, and optimised for performance across devices.
Behind the scenes, we provided CRO with a flexible content management system using reusable blocks and components — giving their internal teams more control, better consistency, and less duplication of effort.
The Solution
The new CRO multisite platform delivers clarity for users and efficiency for administrators. Users can now access key information and documents faster, with structured navigation and clean, readable layouts that reduce friction and cognitive load. Accordions and collapsible content blocks make dense information approachable, helping users complete tasks with greater confidence.
Internally, managing three websites through a single CMS has significantly reduced workload and improved consistency across platforms. Design patterns and reusable components allow the CRO team to scale content without losing structure or quality.
The unified design system builds trust and reinforces the CRO’s role as a central, authoritative source for business regulation and oversight in Ireland. With improved usability, accessibility, and operational efficiency, the new digital platform is built to serve citizens, professionals, and public-sector partners — now and into the future.
Visit the client websites here –
cro.ie
rbo.gov.ie
rfs.gov.ie