Bringing Martial Arts Discovery Into Focus
With more than 850 clubs across over 2,000 locations, Get Into Martial Arts (GIMA), owned by NEST, plays a vital role in helping families discover trusted martial arts schools across the UK. Acting as a national directory, the platform connects parents with local clubs while supporting instructors in growing their memberships and visibility.
A stronger identity for a growing community
As the platform evolved, its visual identity began to show limitations. The existing colour palette lacked flexibility and wasn’t designed with long-term expansion in mind, particularly as the ambition grew to support additional sports and disciplines in the future.
Our brief was to evolve the brand into something more energetic, recognisable and future-ready, an identity capable of representing a national network of clubs while remaining approachable to families searching for activities in their local area.
Bold, vibrant colours were introduced to give the brand greater presence across digital touchpoints, helping it stand out in a crowded online space. Central to the refreshed logo was the introduction of a location pin element, a subtle but meaningful reference to the platform’s core purpose of helping users find clubs close to home. The result was an identity with greater clarity, confidence and flexibility, ready to support the platform’s continued growth.
Shaping a clearer path into martial arts
Alongside the brand refresh, the website itself required careful reconsideration. The previous platform had not evolved in line with user expectations, and its structure made it difficult for visitors to quickly understand where to go or how to take the next step.
Working closely with marketing and sales stakeholders, early conversations focused on understanding the needs of two very different audiences: club owners looking to list their schools, and parents searching for safe, reputable martial arts classes. Mapping these journeys highlighted opportunities to simplify navigation, clarify messaging and guide users more naturally towards booking a trial session.
Wireframes were developed to establish a clearer structure and were reviewed collaboratively with senior stakeholders to ensure alignment before moving into design and development. This early groundwork provided confidence that the final platform would support both discovery and action.
With the foundations agreed, the website was brought to life using Elementor, allowing flexible page templates to be created and scaled across the platform. Bespoke iconography was introduced to support navigation and reinforce key messaging, while carefully structured layouts helped prioritise search, exploration and booking pathways. Content population and responsive refinement ensured consistency across devices, creating a smooth and accessible experience for users at every stage of their journey.
A platform designed to grow with its audience
To support the platform beyond launch, a comprehensive style guide was delivered to ensure future pages remain consistent as the site expands. With a clear visual language and scalable structure in place, GIMA is now equipped to support its growing network of clubs while making it easier than ever for families to take their first step into martial arts.
The site is now live! Find a Martial Arts club near you or get in touch to see how we can support you with a rebrand or website refresh.
