Project Spotlight: sandiejones.com
I’m so excited to be able to share my latest project with you - a website for New York Times bestselling author Sandie Jones! I’m so pleased with how this design turned out - not least because it required lots of nifty bits of custom CSS in order to achieve the look Sandie wanted, and I love it because it’s a bit ‘different’ from my other designs. It’s beautifully simple and pared back, with a really clean, user-friendly feel.
Find out more about the project…
The Brief
Sandie Jones is the author of three novels, including Reese Witherspoon bookclub pick The Other Woman, which was a New York Times bestseller. She started her career as a journalist, and her old website, which she set up a while ago, was completely focused on this side of her work, rather than her novels.
Sandie wanted a website that showcased her writing career in a confident but inviting way. She wanted a really clean, minimal design, with plenty of space and to ensure it was super-easy to navigate so that visitors didn’t have to waste any time to find what they wanted.
Colour-wise Sandie knew she wanted a turquoisey/blue shade as the theme and was keen on the idea of having different sections of her website to appear as ‘boxes’ floating against a simple white background. She also wanted something that would be easy to update in the future, so that it can grow with her career.
The Details
Web design package: The Midlister
Template: Sonny, Squarespace 7.0
Fonts used: Oswald, Montserrat
View the site here: sandiejones.com
Sandie’s Verdict
The Post-launch Q&A
Before working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, when it came to my website I felt…
Embarrassed by my out-of-date website, but too overwhelmed at the thought of doing anything about it.
What fears or hesitations did you have before deciding to work with Charlotte Duckworth Studio?
The process of building a new website was daunting and I couldn't imagine ending up with a product that would be worth the effort.
How do you expect your new site to change things for you?
For one, I'm now incredibly proud of it and it is no longer something that is sitting in the back of mind, waiting to be dealt with, which in itself is a huge weight off my shoulders. I am now excited that I have somewhere for readers to go that will say everything I want to say about me and hope that they feel more connected to me and my books. This wasn't necessarily an exercise to increase sales, though it would be a welcome bonus!
For someone on the fence about working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, what would you say to them?
You may think that you can build your own website easily and for very few of us tech-savvy authors, that might well be the case. BUT the time it would have taken me to do what Charlotte has, and even then I would never have been able to achieve the same result, would have cost me far more than the fee she charges. She also offers different packages for different budgets and once the process starts, she has devised such an easy-to-understand, foolproof method of collating content that it takes all the anticipated pain away! Worth every penny.
How do you feel about your completed website?
Very proud and quite emotional.
Is there anything you feel could have been done to improve your experience?
I have absolutely no complaints and feel that from the initial consultation on the phone, to the questionnaires, building process and video training call, you were fully committed and invested in creating the website that I envisaged. The level of communication was very much appreciated and attention to detail second to none.
Would you recommend Charlotte Duckworth Studio to a friend who also needed to build a site for their creative business?
Absolutely! I will be shouting from the rooftops!