Life with Gutz
Personal Blog Website
WEB
UX/UI
2020 • I was thrilled when I got the first email about this project. The client, Katie, approached me in need of a site to accompany the launch of her online presence and YouTube channel. She needed a site that would function as a blog and collect email subscribers, with the potential to grow along with her community. Design and develop a responsive online platform for a woman setting up a blog for her personal brand, using Netlify as a CMS.
Client:
Life with Gutz
Role:
Web Design | Developer
Website:
(NOTE This site is still in the final stages of approvals with the client, so her website is currently composed of placeholder content.)
Inspiration
Katie already had a logo for herself, and was interested in using orange and purple, to match a portrait of herself she also already had. As I considered the sort of content she is putting out, which involves fire and flow and telling stories, I started to imagine the flowing purple shapes that are now a key visual element of the site. I wanted her site to feel polished, but also represent her content and personality.
Components
This site features three Google fonts, Oswald, Lora and Rock Salt. I included a handwritten choice for Katie, so her content would feel more personalized to her readers. For blog content in particular, this felt like a clear choice.
Sometimes the blog posts pair with YouTube content. I created a button which will only appear on posts if there is a video to link to. The social nav on the right side disappears whenever the social icons in the footer are visible, for quick access to all of Katie's content.
Adding a CMS
After researching the possibilities and understanding the client needs, I knew the best option was a site that I code entirely. I would be able to design with full control of the visual outcome, and set her up with a Content Management System through Netlify. This way she could easily add more content within what I would build. Having such freedom, and having my first client for a job of this scale, was very exciting.
Final Results!
