The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
Designing a digital presence for a sacred site and global pilgrimage destination.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the Western world, located in Bendigo, Victoria.
As a major pilgrimage site, cultural venue, and interfaith symbol, the Stupa required a website that reflected its spiritual significance while serving a wide range of audiences: from international visitors and volunteers to educators, event attendees, and donors.
Web design
Graphic design
Brand identity
The Brief
To redesign the Great Stupa’s website with a focus on:
Modern, accessible UX for diverse audiences
Improved navigation and content structure across 40+ pages
A design system that aligns with the spiritual dignity and architectural precision of the Stupa itself
Increased clarity around visitor information, event promotion, and donation pathways
Streamlined backend setup for easier content management by staff and volunteers
Tools
Figma, WordPress, WooCommerce, SquareSync for Woo, GiveWP, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, Elementor Pro, Notion
Role
Lead Designer: Wireframes, mid-high fidelity mockups, design system
UX Architecture: Sitemap refinement, page flow and hierarchy, user journey clarity
Strategy & Consultation: Collaborated directly with the project team to ensure alignment with the organisation’s values and goals
Duration
December 2024 to July 2025 (8 months)
The Design Process
Discovery & Alignment
Client interviews
I held meetings with the with the Stupa’s admin team to understand their content priorities, future vision, and technical constraints.
The previous website lacked visual impact, felt outdated, with old images and uninspiring design that fails to engage visitors. The redesign was to create a compelling, tourism-style experience that immediately captivates users, showcasing the Great Stupa as a unique pilgrimage and cultural destination.
Key focuses
Creating an immersive, visually striking homepage that highlights visitation and the site’s significance
Simplifying navigation for easy access to essential visitor information (location, hours, tours) and key actions (shop, donations)
Incorporating fresh, professionally captured photos and videos to replace dated content
Revamping the online gift shop to boost sales and expand reach, integrating with the current Square POS system for real-time inventory updates
Supporting multiple payment options (Afterpay, Zip, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay) and currencies (USD, AUD)
Including clear retail policies (returns, shipping, refunds), shop contact info, and incentives like newsletter signups with discounts
Drawing inspiration from high-performing retail and lifestyle websites for layout, mobile usability, and storytelling about how purchases support the Great Stupa
Sitemap restructuring
I reviewed their existing site and identified structural friction points, developing an updated sitemap for information architecture.
I created a separate sitemap structure for their Online Gift Shop, as this required revised categories rather than one large collection of products.
I consolidated many pages. These includes such pages as About: combining About, Master Plan, Buddhist Blessings, Parks & Gardens, Architecture, Similar Stupas, and Gallery into a single-page scroll.
Above: The Great Stupa's main pages
Above: The Great Stupa Gift Shop restructure
Above: Previous sitemap breakdown
Wireframes & Structure
Lo-fi wireframes
I created low-fidelity wireframes for 40+ pages, the most important of which are shown below.
Iterative design
Low-fidelity wireframes were created to establish the new navigation flow.
Content was restructured to ensure key information, especially Events, visitor information, and Donation options, were easily accessible. Feedback loops with the Stupa team led to multiple iterations to refine layout and hierarchy.
I similarly created a short video to loop as the hero image on the landing page.
Visual Design & Development
Mockups
I developed mid- and high-fidelity mockups inspired by the Stupa’s architecture and colours, balancing modern aesthetics with Buddhist visual identity. The design underwent several rounds of revisions to ensure the look and feel resonated with both stakeholders and the intended audience.
Below are depicted the final iterations of parent page mockups.
Development & Plugin Integration
The development stage presented several unexpected technical challenges that required creative problem-solving. The planned integration of the Square for WooCommerce plugin proved incompatible with the site’s requirements, leading to a more complex workaround. To achieve a functional and reliable shop system, we implemented SquareSync for WooCommerce, enabling seamless operation of the gift shop.
The donation portal, built using GiveWP, also posed significant difficulties. Data migration from the previous website was unsuccessful due to incompatibility issues, ultimately requiring a fresh donation system to be established… a solution originally proposed early in the process. While these obstacles extended the project timeline, the resulting systems are now far more stable, scalable, and aligned with the client’s long-term needs.
Testing & Launch
The Great Stupa team and I carefully tested the website on different browsers, devices, and screen sizes to ensure it works well for everyone. The website was launched with an emphasis on ease of updates and long-term maintainability.
The Outcome
The redesigned site offers:
An intuitive user experience across all devices
Clear pathways for event bookings, donations, learning resources, and group visits
A professional, scalable system that can grow alongside the Stupa’s evolving programs and offerings
The final design honours the Stupa’s spiritual intent while meeting the practical needs of its broad community.
Reflection
A chance to practice the Six Perfections!
This project was a true exercise in patience, persistence, and creative problem-solving! While I knew from the outset that redesigning a 40+ page website for such a unique and multifaceted organisation would be a significant undertaking, hindsight revealed just how many moving parts were involved.
From integrating a donations portal that met both technical and ethical standards, to streamlining an online shop with unique products and legacy systems, there were more obstacles than anticipated. Each challenge, however, became an opportunity to refine the design, adapt to changing requirements, and ensure the final product was not just beautiful, but genuinely functional for all stakeholders.
The process demanded flexibility and a willingness to revisit earlier design decisions when better solutions emerged. In the end, the experience strengthened my ability to manage large-scale projects with multiple priorities, while still staying true to the core ideas of simplicity, compassion, and the spiritual purpose of the Stupa.
The Deliverables (Before & After)
The New Great Stupa website
Previous website
The previous site contained rich information but lacked a clear structure for its diverse audiences. The redesign focused on streamlining navigation, enhancing accessibility, and bringing visual harmony aligned with the Stupa’s values.
