Project Spotlight: lizatully.com & elisabethelo.com
I’m so excited to be sharing not one, but TWO of my most recent projects with you today, but - plot twist - they are both for the same author! Elisabeth writes under two different names, for two distinct author brands, and approached me to design two very different websites - one for each of them.
The Brief
It was a real privilege to get to work with Elisabeth twice on her two very different author brands! It’s actually the first time I’ve built two different websites for the same author.
Elisabeth initially contacted me about building a website for her upcoming cosy mystery, The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant.
The book was her debut in this genre and she wanted to create a strong and compelling website to help launch the book.
Elisabeth had lots of thoughts about colour and fonts and was really helpful in giving me some strong guidelines to work from, which made my job building the Liza Tully website much easier!
I chose to reflect the colours from her cover on the website, but kept the main font for the website pared-back rather than fussy, so that it didn’t compete with the illustrative elements on her book jacket’s design.
I also sprinkled a few of these illustrative elements around the site to add more interest.
While we were in discussions about the Liza Tully website, Elisabeth also enquired about a redesign for her existing Elisabeth Elo website.
The website was built on Wordpress and had been created a few years ago when these books were released. She wanted to streamline the information on the site and also give it a more contemporary feel.
We moved her domain over to Squarespace and I built the new website from scratch. I was really excited to work on this site as Elisabeth was happy to give me free rein from a design point of view!
After experimenting with lots of different ideas, I decided to make use of the liquid ‘art’ effect for the background, incorporating a gradient of blue to red that subtly moves as you read the website.
Find out more about Squarespace’s Section background art →
This is the first time I’ve used this effect on a client website and I really love the result. Less is always more with this kind of effect - the most important thing is that the website is still usable. However, on Elisabeth’s new site it’s subtle but atmospheric and intriguing - and I think it echoes her book covers really nicely!
Scroll down to see more of Elisabeth’s two new websites, and find out what she thought about our project together.
The Details
Version: Squarespace 7.1
Fonts used:
Elisabeth Elo website: Alegreya Sans
Liza Tully website: Oswald & Futura PT
View the sites here: elisabethelo.com; lizatully.com
Elisabeth’s Verdict
“I had researched website designers for some time, and for one reason or another wasn’t enthralled with their designs. When I came across Charlotte’s portfolio, I was immediately drawn to the visual simplicity and ease of navigation of the websites she had designed. The elements of a good website all seemed to be in perfect balance, so I knew right away I wanted to work with her. Charlotte was the perfect choice for me. She has a great design sense, she knows what a writer needs, her services are reasonably priced, and the process is very efficient. I spent less of my time on these websites than I had on my previous websites and the results were better!”
The Post-launch Q&A
How do you feel about your completed website?
I write under two different pseudonyms, so I have two sites. I love them both.
Before working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, when it came to my website I felt …
..the process was time-consuming and expensive, and my chances of being able to maintain the site once it was finished was close to zero.
What fears or hesitations did you have before deciding to work with Charlotte Duckworth Studio?
None. I had researched website designers for some time, and for one reason or another wasn't enthralled with their designs. When I came across Charlotte's portfolio, I was immediately drawn to the visual simplicity and ease of navigation of the websites she had designed. The elements of a good website all seemed to be in perfect balance, so I knew right away I wanted to work with her.
How do you expect your new site to change things for you?
I see an author website as a necessity because it makes several important functions possible. It provides contact information for my agent and publicist, gives readers an easy way to contact me, attracts subscribers to my newsletter, and provides info for my upcoming events. In my case, it also connects to my other website, to Linkt.ree where there are various other links (including links to purchase the books!) and to Instagram. And it makes all these tasks pretty easy and straightforward.
For someone on the fence about working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, what would you say to them?
In the past, I worked with two expensive designers who both made very nice websites. But the sites were more complicated than they really needed to be and I never kept them up because the maintenance was above my pay grade. Then I worked with a local designer who knew how to use Wordpress, and in the end the site was just okay (which was half my fault). I thought working with someone local would be less costly, but there was a lot of back and forth, and as she charged an hourly rate, it turned out to be just as expensive as the fancier designers. Charlotte was the perfect choice for me. She has a great design sense, she knows what a writer needs, her services are reasonably priced, and the process is very efficient. I spent less of my time on these websites than I had on my previous websites and the results were better!
How do you feel about your completed website?
I love them both!
Is there anything you were really hoping would be included in your website design package? If you could add another item to the package, what would it be?
I can't think of anything. I appreciate the Squarespace tutorial as it will help me maintain the site.
Is there anything you feel could have been done to improve your experience?
I can't think of anything to improve. One thing I especially like is how simple and streamlined the process is.
Would you recommend Charlotte Duckworth Studio to a friend who also needed to build an author website?
Absolutely!
Want me to build you a website?
My streamlined yet personal approach, perfected over the past 6 years of building websites for ambitious authors just like you, means I can create your dream author website without overwhelming you with tech jargon or confusing decisions, supporting you throughout the whole process and gently guiding you with my expertise.
Find out more, then get in touch. I would love to hear from you!
