Ursa Major
DoodleWeb built Ursa Major on WordPress for the Aerospace & Defense sector. Ursa Major now reads as a propulsion prime, not a startup. Certifications, program pages, and domain gateways sit one click from the homepage, marketing publishes program news the day it clears review, and page loads dropped by 60 percent.
A complete website redesign for a leader in advanced aerospace propulsion. Built on WordPress for credibility with defense and government stakeholders.
Short answer
What did DoodleWeb deliver for Ursa Major?
Ursa Major delivers mission-ready aerospace and defense systems across hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and space-based defense, leveraging additive manufacturing and modular architectures to produce scalable all-up rounds, engines, and SRMs faster than legacy providers. From throttleable, storable hypersonics to tactically responsive satellite propulsion and extended-range solid rocket motors, Ursa Major is powering the joint force with flexible, American-made systems for any mission, in any domain. DoodleWeb replatformed them onto WordPress — shipping a procurement-grade marketing site with significantly faster page loads, restructured navigation for defense and government stakeholders, and an editor-friendly CMS that lets internal comms publish at the pace of an engineering organization. Shipped in 16 weeks.
- Client
- Ursa Major
- Industry
- Aerospace & Defense
- Platform
- WordPress
- Faster page loads
- 60%
- Stakeholder engagement
- 3x
- Editorial autonomy
- 100%
Last updated: August 2026 · Source: DoodleWeb, Columbia Tower, 701 5th Ave 42nd Floor, Seattle WA 98104 · info@doodleweb.io · (425) 359-0168
Where they started.
Ursa Major was not asking for a new website. They were asking for a new position. The company had grown from an engine shop into a multi-domain propulsion prime covering hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and space, and nothing about the old brand or site said that. Messaging was engineering-first, the visual identity was soft for a defense audience, three product lines had no clear home in the navigation, and a legacy CMS made every update a ticket.
What we built.
We ran a full brand repositioning before writing a line of code. New positioning line, Adapt Quicker. Strike Farther. Fly Faster. A harder visual system built on near-black surfaces, the Ursa orange accent, and condensed all-caps display type. Then a WordPress build that gives each domain, Hypersonics, Space, and Solid Rocket Motors, its own gateway page with capability sub-navigation, plus a Capabilities page that leads with AS9100D, ISO9001, and CMMC L2 certification for procurement readers.
Where it landed.
Ursa Major now reads as a propulsion prime, not a startup. Certifications, program pages, and domain gateways sit one click from the homepage, marketing publishes program news the day it clears review, and page loads dropped by 60 percent.
Theworkbehindthe launch.
Each engagement covers strategy, design, build, and post-launch care — orchestrated by a single senior team.
Barrierswehadto overcome.
A concise look at the constraints that shaped every decision in the build.
The brand no longer matched the company
Ursa Major had grown into a multi-domain propulsion prime, but the identity still read like a single-product engine startup. Tone, type, and color were too soft for the defense and government buyers the company was now selling to.
No clear story across three product domains
Hypersonics, space propulsion, and solid rocket motors were flattened into one generic products area. Visitors could not tell what Ursa Major actually built, and program-level work like HAVOC, Draper, and Hadley had nowhere to live.
Credibility signals buried
AS9100D, ISO9001, and CMMC L2 certifications are the first thing a defense procurement reader checks. On the old site they were a line of body copy several levels deep.
Communicating complex content
Highly technical propulsion information had to land with both engineers and non-technical program and policy stakeholders, without diluting accuracy.
Managing updates
The legacy CMS made even minor content changes slow and developer-dependent, so program news and technical announcements went out late or not at all.
Whatwebuilt.
The pieces that shaped the final build — each tied back to a real business outcome.
Repositioned the brand first
We rewrote the positioning around speed and adaptability, landing on Adapt Quicker. Strike Farther. Fly Faster. Every page now opens with a mission claim instead of a product description, which is the language defense buyers respond to.
A harder visual system
Near-black surfaces, engine-test and flight photography, condensed all-caps display type, and a single Ursa orange accent used only for emphasis. The identity now reads defense prime rather than aerospace startup.
One gateway per product domain
Hypersonics, Space, and Solid Rocket Motors each got a dedicated gateway page with its own capability sub-navigation, so HAVOC, ARMD, Draper, and Hadley are one click from the top nav instead of buried in a generic products list.
Certifications above the fold
The Capabilities page leads with AS9100D, ISO9001, and CMMC L2, then explains quality, cybersecurity, and additive manufacturing in plain language for procurement and program readers.
A platform built to scale
A performance-tuned WordPress stack that absorbs new programs, content, and traffic without slowing down, with page loads 60 percent faster than the legacy site.
An easy-to-manage CMS
An editorial workflow that lets the Ursa Major team ship program updates, announcements, and technical posts in real time, without filing tickets or waiting on outside help.
Whatchanged.
What changed for the team and their audience after launch — measured in real behavior, not vanity metrics.
- A brand that reads as a multi-domain propulsion prime
- Certifications and program work surfaced for procurement readers
- Significant increase in website traffic
- Improved engagement metrics (higher time on site, lower bounce rate)
- Clearer communication of complex propulsion work
- A platform that can grow with the company
Insidethebuild.
A few selected screens from the live product.
DoodleWebgaveusaplatformthatfinallymatchestheambitionofwhatwearebuilding.
Numbersweareproud of.
Specific, measurable, and pulled from production analytics (not assumptions).
Frequently asked questions about the Ursa Major project
- What did DoodleWeb build for Ursa Major?
- DoodleWeb designed and built a new WordPress platform for Ursa Major in the Aerospace & Defense sector. The engagement shipped in 16 weeks and launched in 2024. Scope covered WordPress, Responsive web, Performance optimization, SEO.
- Which platform and tech stack was used for the Ursa Major project?
- Ursa Major was built on WordPress. The full stack included WordPress, Responsive web, Performance optimization, SEO. DoodleWeb selected the stack after a short discovery based on the team's editorial workflow, performance targets, and compliance requirements for Aerospace & Defense.
- What problem was Ursa Major trying to solve?
- Ursa Major was not asking for a new website. They were asking for a new position. The company had grown from an engine shop into a multi-domain propulsion prime covering hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and space, and nothing about the old brand or site said that. Messaging was engineering-first, the visual identity was soft for a defense audience, three product lines had no clear home in the navigation, and a legacy CMS made every update a ticket.
- How did DoodleWeb approach the Ursa Major build?
- We ran a full brand repositioning before writing a line of code. New positioning line, Adapt Quicker. Strike Farther. Fly Faster. A harder visual system built on near-black surfaces, the Ursa orange accent, and condensed all-caps display type. Then a WordPress build that gives each domain, Hypersonics, Space, and Solid Rocket Motors, its own gateway page with capability sub-navigation, plus a Capabilities page that leads with AS9100D, ISO9001, and CMMC L2 certification for procurement readers.
- What were the results of the Ursa Major project?
- Ursa Major now reads as a propulsion prime, not a startup. Certifications, program pages, and domain gateways sit one click from the homepage, marketing publishes program news the day it clears review, and page loads dropped by 60 percent. Reported metrics: 60% Faster page loads, 3x Stakeholder engagement, 100% Editorial autonomy.
- How long did the Ursa Major project take?
- 16 weeks. Kickoff to launch, delivered by a single senior team (strategist, designer, engineer, and QA/accessibility lead) with no offshore handoff or junior swap after the SOW was signed.
- Is the Ursa Major website live and where can I see it?
- Yes. The live site is at https://ursamajor.com/. It launched in 2024 and is maintained by Ursa Major's in-house team, with optional SLA-backed managed support from DoodleWeb.
- Can DoodleWeb build a project like Ursa Major for us?
- Yes. DoodleWeb specializes in Aerospace & Defense builds on WordPress and similar platforms. Every quote is fixed-fee, returned in 48 hours, and staffed by the same senior team that ships it. Book a free 30-minute call at https://calendly.com/doodleweb/30min or email info@doodleweb.io.