Web Design Portfolio: Project for Words By Wanda

Helping business owners feel confident in the design of their websites is one of the aspects of my job that keeps me motivated. Check out the web design project I completed for this digital nomad and marketing professional.

The Client: Words by Wanda

Wanda Dobson is a talented freelance copywriter specializing in wordsmithing for wellness brands. She’s also a fellow liveaboard sailor (like me!)

She is currently bopping around the Caribbean with her husband on their catamaran. Needless to say, Wanda and I hit it off immediately and I was so stoked to assist her with her web design.

The Project: A Single-Page Website Design for a Copywriter with a Cohesive Brand throughout.

Full disclosure: You’ll notice that Wanda’s new website is designed on Squarespace and not Showit. When Wanda reached out looking for help with her web design, she had recently paid for a Squarespace subscription for the whole year. I wasn’t going to make her pay for another website platform SO, Squarespace it was for this one project.

Ok, back to the Web Design Project…

Wanda came to me because she felt that her DIY website was “all over the place.”

And to be honest, it wasn’t that bad…

BUT I know what a difference a well-designed website can make for a business owner’s confidence AND a website visitor’s experience.

Brand Strategy:

To start, Wanda and I hopped on a discovery call (she was at anchor in Saint Barths. To say I was envious, would be an understatement.)

Wanda wanted her brand to reflect her life, her values, and those of her clients:

• – growth
• – healthy lifestyle,
• – a nod to her nomadic life at sea

…and to give the feeling to her potential clients that working with her is a breeze — and from experience, working with her totally is.

We started by collecting some inspiration from Pinterest. I then created a couple of mood board options for the Words by Wanda brand.

Brand Mood Boards

Wanda selected the brighter mood board for the foundations of her brand. She felt tropical plants symbolize growth, health, abundance, and vibrancy.

She wanted to evoke a sense of ease and relaxation for her visitors and wasn’t feeling it with the moodier colors.

From there, I selected a font pairing that communicated boldness and brightness for the WBW brand

… because you don’t move your life and business onto a sailboat without a little gumption, am I right?

A simple wordmark logo and favicon and we were off to the races.

Wanda sent me her website copy and from there I got to designing her fresh new website.

Web Design Layout Strategy

This is all Wanda. Her website copy wireframe was easy to understand and intuitive. And the strategy? Single-page simple.

I love a good one-page website for its ability to keep readers’ attention and have all the pertinent information in one place. They’re easy to navigate and make it really easy to hit the word count required for on-page SEO best practices.

Love a good Before and After!

“Shelagh brought to life the attractive website I imagined but could not create. She understood the welcoming environment I wanted to cultivate by expertly bringing together her artistic design and seamlessly weaving in my company’s vision and mission. Shelagh is a talented professional who gave me confidence in the look and feel of my polished online brand. I highly recommend her if you want a personally-curated website that engages your ideal audience.”

Wanda Dobson, Owner, wordsbywanda.com

If you’re in need of some clarity and direction when it comes to the strategy and design for your website, shoot me an email at shay@saltwaterheartcreative.com or book a call with me here.