Giving Shape to Workforce Insight
Granite People Advisory deals in people analytics, employee experience, and organizational development. Business leaders come to founder Jim Whiting with a need for guidance. They aren’t visiting the website to admire visuals; they’re looking for reassurance that someone understands the complexity of their workforce challenges. The website needed to feel modern and vibrant without leaning into cold futurism, and professional without drifting into corporate sameness.
Setting the tone
The foundation of the design began with recognizing that most leaders engaging with people analytics are searching for signal: the “what’s actually going on here” behind retention patterns, survey data, and organizational shifts. The site needed to reflect that search for clarity. Instead of literal charts or UI-style diagrams, the visual system uses two layers of imagery:
Conceptual tech-inspired scenes reflect Jim’s technical expertise and that his work is not about displaying complexity for complexity’s sake. It’s about understanding it.
Human-centered business photography shows teams in motion, leadership moments, and collaboration. Each image is chosen for its sense of authenticity, avoiding the overly staged visual language common in consulting websites. It’s human, but not sentimental; polished, but not posed.
Then, a dark charcoal background gives the site presence. It immediately communicates seriousness and depth, which suits the nature of the work. But dark palettes can easily feel heavy, so the supporting elements were designed to lift and balance. White typography keeps the text crisp and readable. Mustard accents guide attention in gentle, deliberate places without competing with the core content.
Rounded corners on images and buttons bring a modern softness to the interface. They break up the severity of the dark palette and echo contemporary tech design without feeling trendy.
A subtle mountain-inspired pattern from the brand’s logo sits beneath sections as a subtle structural layer. It introduces texture while staying nearly invisible on first glance. The pattern serves as a reminder of the brand’s name, granite, and the idea behind it: something solid and steady.
a living space for thought leadership
One of the most important parts of the site is the Insights section, which needed to feel more like a practical library than a typical blog. Jim’s work centers on helping leaders understand what’s happening inside their organizations, so the topics had to reflect real questions they’re already asking.
Each Insight is framed around a question leaders genuinely face: how to turn survey results into meaningful action, what predictive models can realistically reveal, and what it takes to scale listening across global teams. Instead of using vague titles or overbuilt headlines, each topic is practical, specific, and grounded in real scenarios.
This area also serves a strategic role. These topics anchor the site in the search terms executives actually use, forming the foundation of a long-term SEO strategy. As the library grows, it becomes both a resource for readers and a path for organic discovery—supporting the business while staying rooted in practical, real-world guidance.
