Background & Challenges
esure Group, part of Ageas UK, is one of the UK’s leading providers of Motor and Home insurance products through the esure, Sheilas’ Wheels and First Alternative brands. esure is focused on using their market-leading technology platform insights and data with fantastic customer service to deliver more personalised experiences that meet the evolving needs and expectations of its customers.esure Group was undergoing a major design refresh of their esure brand website, to better reflect their evolving brand and improve the digital user experience. Their internal design team had developed a detailed and well-structured Figma design system, but required support with the Drupal developer expertise needed to implement it at scale within their CMS and component architecture.
They faced three key challenges:
- Translating Figma designs into scalable, reusable Drupal components
- Integrating seamlessly with internal DevOps pipelines and CICD processes
- Delivering consistent, secure releases with developer standby support during out-of-hours deployment windows
esure engaged REO Digital to take ownership of frontend implementation, Drupal development, deployment readiness, and release support. This approach ensured a smooth and reliable outcome both technically and operationally.
The REO approach
“REO Digital embedded directly into esure’s CI/CD-driven web development workflow and worked cross-functionally with internal design, content, QA, and DevOps teams.”
Drupal Component Development
We translated esure’s Figma designs into a structured and scalable component library using the existing Drupal CMS theme as a base. Each component was developed for responsiveness, accessibility, and long-term reusability. This included both layout structures (e.g. full-width banners, grids, tabbed blocks) and atomic UI elements (e.g. buttons, CTAs, input fields).
DevOps Collaboration & Secure Deployment
Given the regulated nature of esure’s sector, security and stability were paramount. We worked closely with their DevOps team to:
- Build a secure staging server for hosting with Drupal, replicating the live environment
- Run automated code scanning and security checks prior to deployment
- Provide out-of-hours Drupal developer standby to ensure fast, expert support during live rollouts
- Create comprehensive release documentation, including rollback instructions, to minimise risk
Deliverables
Operational Documentation:
Release notes, deployment plans, rollback procedures, QA test steps
Automated Code Quality & Security Checks:
Supporting compliance and performance
Modular Drupal Component Library:
Built to match Figma design system and responsive across devices
Secure Staging Environment:
QA-ready with integrated code testing and security validation
Live Deployment Support:
On-call Drupal developer cover during scheduled releases
Accessibility & Compliance Testing:
WCAG-compliant components tested across devices and browsers
01
End-to-End Component Build from Figma Designs
What the audit revealed
Mobile PDPs were a major entry point, yet key product information, particularly hamper contents, was not being seen by a large proportion of users.
Outcome
+10.7% conversion for new mobile users, driven by improved add-to-cart rates with no negative impact on overall experience.
02
CI/CD-Ready Secure Staging & Deployment Workflow
What the audit revealed
esure’s existing deployment process needed stronger validation checks and staging parity with production. Releases had to be tightly controlled, especially during out-of-hours windows.
Outcome
We created a dedicated staging environment configured with strict access controls, SSL, and version parity with production. Static code analysis and security scans (e.g. Drupal security updates, module audits) were automated as part of the CI/CD process. Each release was documented and validated against internal checklists and QA cycles.
03
Developer Standby & Release Notes Process
What the audit revealed
esure’s DevOps team had been managing releases without dedicated Drupal developer support, which increased the risk of issues if something went wrong after deployment, particularly during after hours releases.
Outcome
REO provided release notes for every deployment, outlining:
- Component changes
- Code diffs
- Known issues
- Rollback instructions
- Security updates (where relevant)
We also had a developer available during out-of-hours releases to assist with immediate issue triage, improving overall confidence and reducing deployment-related stress across teams.
Additional Contributions
Content Governance:
Introduced naming conventions and field structure best practices for CMS clarity
Drupal Upgrades & Security Fixes:
Delivered critical Drupal core and contributed module updates, ensuring the platform remained secure and aligned with best practices
Test Scenario Development:
Collaborated with esure’s QA team to define and validate test coverage during sprint delivery
The outcome
The partnership between REO Digital and esure helped deliver a redesigned site that’s not only visually aligned with brand goals, but also technically robust and future-ready. Beyond the code, the project helped esure evolve digital delivery:
- Cross-Team Collaboration: Agile, transparent work streams across Dev, Content, and DevOps
- Increased Stability & Speed: Thanks to CI/CD alignment and support processes
- Reusable Architecture: A scalable Drupal component system that reduces future development overhead
Resources
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