Splash Page - First Impression

Before the homepage loads, visitors are greeted with an animated splash screen featuring the Tascol wordmark and tagline "Cool. Calm. Collected." This sets the tone immediately - calm authority, not corporate pressure. The animation is brief (under 2 seconds) and transitions smoothly into the full homepage experience.

The splash reinforces brand recognition and gives the site a polished, considered feel that distinguishes Tascol from typical debt recovery websites.

▶ View the splash page prototype in Figma →

Design Vision

Debt recovery carries stigma. The homepage must immediately signal: "You're in safe hands." We achieve this through early trust signals, clear pathways, and a visual system that feels warm without being soft.

Pangea's Option 2 provides the visual language - burgundy blocks with layered geometric shapes (red, pink, cream rectangles) framing photography. We've kept this system intact while restructuring the information hierarchy based on Ven's UX analysis of how both audiences actually navigate.

Strategic Decisions - What Changed & Why

• Quick-Action Bar (new): A distressed customer arriving from a debt letter needs "Pay" or "Get help" immediately - not after scrolling past a brand hero. Sticky burgundy bar sits below the nav with two clear CTAs.
• Primary CTAs above the fold: Pangea's research found most visitors go straight to Pay a Bill or Request a PIR. Both are positioned high on the page as prominent action buttons, reducing friction for the majority of site traffic.
• Hero reworked: "Cool. Calm. Collected." remains the emotional hook, paired with a value proposition and two audience-specific CTAs: "I'm a business - recover my debts" and "I owe money - what are my options?"
• Trust bar added: AFCA Member, Privacy Act Compliant, Tasmanian Family-Owned Since 1964, 3 Offices Across Tasmania - positioned early to reduce bounce from sceptical visitors.
• Customer pathways expanded: "Received a letter from Tascol?" section navigates customers to 4 essential areas: Set Up a Payment Plan, Financial Hardship, Dispute This Debt, and Understand Your Rights. Each card has empathetic microcopy and a clear CTA - guiding the customer journey without overwhelming them.
• Business section expanded: Proper services breakdown (commercial recovery, field collection, skip tracing, legal enforcement, credit reporting) with proof points and stats integrated directly.
• Portal logins deprioritised: Login is a returning-user action, not a primary conversion driver. Moved to header utility nav, not competing with main CTAs.
• "How it works" moved to subpage: Keeps homepage focused on routing. Detailed process explanation lives on the What We Do page.
• Persistent contact CTA (floating icon): A small, branded icon button sits fixed in the bottom-right corner and follows the user across every page. One tap takes them straight to the Contact page. This is deliberately subtle - it doesn't interrupt the experience like a live chat popup, but it's always there when someone is ready to reach out. Especially important for customers who may be browsing nervously and want a quick exit to human contact at any point.

Visual & Photography Direction

• Hero image: Confident person in a natural Tasmanian environment - candid, documentary feel. Not stock. Warm and optimistic.
• Colour system: Burgundy (#881924) for authority sections, cream (#FDEFDC) for customer-facing warmth, red (#D90312) for CTAs and accents.
• Typography: Poppins throughout - SemiBold for headlines, Medium for subheadings, Regular for body. Clean, modern, accessible.
• Photography framing: Overlapping burgundy/red/pink/cream rectangles around images - direct from Pangea's approved visual system.

Page Vision

The "Cool. Calm. Collected." meaning section moved here from the homepage - this is where it belongs. The About page is where brand philosophy lives and breathes, not on a homepage fighting for attention with CTAs.

Strategic Decisions

• Alternating text/image rows: Creates visual rhythm and breaks up long-form content. Text-left/image-right, then image-left/text-right. Keeps the eye moving without overwhelming.
• Our Story section leads: "Established in 1910, family-owned since 1964" - heritage is Tascol's strongest differentiator. 30 local staff, three offices across Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.
• Purpose/Vision/Mission as 3-card layout: Cream background section. Scannable at a glance rather than buried in paragraphs. Each card is concise - one sentence maximum.
• "What Sets Us Apart" grid (2x2): Icon + text format. Highlights: local knowledge, ethical approach, technology-driven, community connection. Proof points, not empty promises.
• Closing CTA banner: Burgundy block with clear next steps - "See What We Do" or "Get In Touch". Every page must route visitors forward, not leave them at a dead end.

Photography Direction

• Team imagery: Real Tascol team members in their offices - not stock photos of generic office workers. Candid, not posed.
• Tasmanian landscapes: Subtle background elements that anchor the brand geographically. Rolling hills, harbour views, suburban streetscapes.

Page Vision

Debt recovery, credit reporting and payment solutions for Tasmanian businesses and their customers. The page must speak to both without confusing either. Business clients see authority and results. Customers see empathy and clear options.

Strategic Decisions

• Business services section (top): Service cards with icon + title + description. Commercial recovery, field collection, skip tracing, legal enforcement, credit reporting. Each card links to relevant detail or contact form.
• Visual authority for business: Darker palette, strong typography, proof points woven in. Businesses need to trust Tascol can deliver - stats and credentials do the heavy lifting.
• Customer section (below): Warmer palette shift to cream/soft tones. Supportive language, empathetic imagery. "Here's how we can help" not "Here's what you owe."
• Process steps moved here: "How it works" for both audiences - step-by-step breakdowns that demystify the debt recovery process. Transparency builds trust on both sides.
• Clear CTAs per section: Business visitors route to "Recover My Debts" or contact. Customers route to payment, hardship, or dispute options. No ambiguity.

Design Treatment

• Section divider: Clear visual break between Business and Customer areas - different background colours signal a shift in audience.
• Photography: Business section uses office/professional imagery. Customer section uses warm, community-focused shots.

Page Vision

"Find the information and support you need - whether you're a customer or a business." This page is functional, not promotional. Card-based navigation lets visitors scan and click without reading paragraphs.

Strategic Decisions

• Customer resources (priority position): Financial Hardship, Personal Information Record (PIR), Complaints Process, Customer Portal access, FAQs. These are the high-anxiety pages - customers need to find them fast.
• Business resources: Credit Reporting/Equifax integration, Business Portal login, industry resources. Lower anxiety but equally important for client retention.
• Card-based layout: Each resource gets a card with a title, one-line description, and clear link. No walls of text. Scannable in under 5 seconds.
• Audience split: Visual separation between Customer and Business sections mirrors the homepage pattern - consistency builds familiarity across the site.
• Short intro only: "We've put together the most commonly needed information and tools in one place." Then straight to the cards. Respect the visitor's time.

Page Vision

Contact pages are often an afterthought. For Tascol, this page is critical - it's where both business enquiries and customer support requests land. The Enquiry Type dropdown ensures messages route to the right team internally, reducing response time.

Strategic Decisions

• Two-column layout (60/40): Form on the left (primary action), contact details sidebar on the right. Visitors can choose: fill the form or pick up the phone.
• Enquiry Type routing: Dropdown field (Business Enquiry, Customer Support, General) determines where the submission goes internally. Smarter handling without the visitor needing to know Tascol's structure.
• Minimal fields: Name, Email, Phone, Enquiry Type, Message. Five fields maximum. Every additional field reduces completion rate - we only ask what's needed to respond.
• Three office locations: Hobart, Launceston, Burnie - with addresses and phone numbers in the sidebar. Reinforces "local and accessible" without needing a map.
• Gravity Forms build: Designed by our designer, built by our developer. Visual treatment matches the brand system - burgundy accents on form elements, Poppins typography, branded submit button.

Page Vision

This form replaces the existing PIR process on tascol.com.au (audited 6 Feb 2026). The current experience is functional but intimidating. The redesign prioritises clarity at every step - what you'll need, what it costs, and what happens next.

Strategic Decisions

• "Before you start" checklist: Sets expectations upfront. Users know exactly what they need (photo ID, reference number if available) before they begin. Reduces drop-off from unprepared visitors.
• Service tier selector: Standard (free, 21 business days) vs Priority ($25, approximately 2 business hours). Clear value proposition for the paid option without pressuring users into it.
• Photo ID upload: Accepts driver's licence, passport, personal ID card, or WWVP card. Drag-and-drop upload with clear file type guidance. Identity verification is legally required - the UX must make it feel safe, not invasive.
• Conditional payment flow: Priority option triggers Stripe/WooCommerce payment step. Standard option skips straight to submission. No unnecessary steps for either path.
• Multi-step form design: Gravity Forms build with progress indicator. Breaking the form into digestible steps (identity, details, service choice, review, submit) keeps completion rates high.
• Support line prominent: PIR support phone (03) 6213 5555 visible throughout the form. If someone gets stuck, they should be able to call immediately.