Bolt Technical

The Brief

Laura Clark and Roxanne Kirkhope-Winnan started Bolt Technical to be a force for change in engineering and tech, building a business in an industry that has long been dominated by men. That ambition sat right at the centre of the brand brief. The identity had to command instant respect from mechanical, electronics and software engineers, an audience with very little patience for anything that feels like marketing, while carrying the warmth and humour that makes Bolt such a pleasure to deal with.

There was a second, more practical challenge. Engineers and technicians often work in secure, sensitive or open-plan environments, and browsing a recruitment website at work is not always something you want on your screen. The founders wanted a site that respected that, so the build had to be every bit as considerate as the brand was bold.

They also arrived with plenty of ideas, which is always the best way to start a project.

Our Actions

Chris Cranshaw and Gavin Cranshaw took the project on together, starting with the brand.

The identity was built to speak fluent engineering: precise, technical and confident, with a boldness that matches the founders’ ambition for the business. It had to work across five very different disciplines, from mechanical and electronics through to software, sales and field service, and still hold together as one recognisable brand. Part of the job was helping Laura and Roxanne channel all that early energy into something focused, which Roxanne describes rather more charmingly as reining in their wildness.

The website came next, designed around the way Bolt’s audience actually behaves. Each of the five sectors got its own space, so a power electronics specialist and a DevOps engineer both find themselves quickly. The team pages carry real personality, because Bolt’s people are a big part of why clients come back. WhatsApp and CV upload were built into the contact routes, since that is how candidates in this market like to get in touch.

Designed For Discretion

This is the part of the project the team is proudest of.

Job hunting is a private business, and it is more private still when you work in a secure facility, a lab, or a busy engineering floor with people passing your desk all day. Bolt’s founders knew this from experience, and they wanted the site to look after candidates properly.

Two features came out of those conversations. A dark and light mode toggle lets someone switch to a discreet, low-glare view that draws far less attention on screen in a bright open-plan office or a sensitive working environment. And a panic button gives a candidate an instant way off the site the moment somebody approaches, with no fumbling between tabs.

They are small features that say a great deal about the business behind them. They are also a lovely example of what happens when founders who really know their audience are given room to bring their ideas to the table.