Project Spotlight: catherinelaw.co.uk
It’s a total joy to be able to share one of my recent projects with you - a website for historical fiction author Catherine Law, who’s published five novels (so far!) set in the early 20th century. It was particularly exciting for me to be able to work with an author with such a big backlist - and best of all, with the most BEAUTIFUL covers (I had serious cover envy throughout this project!). Catherine also had lots of really lovely extra content that she wanted to share with her readers, about the inspiration behind each of her novels, and I really enjoyed working with this material to bring the pages to life.
Find out more about the project…
The Brief
Catherine Law is the author of five romantic novels set in the first half of the 20th century. Although she set up her own website a decade ago, it had become very out of date and she wasn’t able to update it herself.
Catherine wanted a website that looked smart, but also enticing, evoking nostalgia – but not in a saccharin way. She was looking for an attractive, evocative look that has meaning and depth and that draws the reader/browser in, as if opening a book into another world that they can relate to. But she also wanted to maintain a clear, clean and professional feel, too.
Most importantly of all, she wanted her readers to feel comforted, to create a sit-down-with-a-cup-of-tea moment as they scroll through.
The Details
Web design package: The Magnum Opus
Template: Sonny, Squarespace 7.0
Fonts used: Typeka, Adobe Garamond Pro
View the site here: catherinelaw.co.uk
Catherine’s Verdict
“If you are worried about the technical side, have no fear, because Charlotte sets out everything logically and clearly. I absolutely love my new site. Charlotte’s approach to gleaning as much information from me before we started meant that she knew exactly what I wanted. And her brilliant design reflects this. It has been a lovely creative project to work on and I highly recommend Charlotte’s services!”
The Post-launch Q&A
Before working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, when it came to my website I felt… I had no idea where to start when it came to revamping my existing website, but knew it was in need of a makeover.
What fears or hesitations did you have before deciding to work with Charlotte Duckworth Studio? No fears or hesitations; just needed to think about exactly what I wanted from the project, and plan to make the investment in my writing career.
How do you expect your new site to change things for you? I wanted a brand-new look (my old website was 10 years old), which I have certainly achieved. It was a great opportunity to edit the amount of content I had online and bring it all together in one super-stylish and accessible space, that works on all platforms.
For someone on the fence about working with Charlotte Duckworth Studio, what would you say to them? If you are worried about the technical side, have no fear, because Charlotte sets out everything logically and clearly, ie when it comes to how to create or source images, and what type of content you should produce. She guides you through each part of the process. It is a great chance to be really creative with images that reflect your books/writing, and an opportunity to reach out to your readers.
How do you feel about your completed website? I absolutely love it. It more than reached my expectation. Charlotte's approach to gleaning as much information from me before we started (with thorough questionnaires) meant that she knew exactly what I wanted. And her brilliant design reflects this.
Is there anything you feel could have been done to improve your experience? No, it all went really smoothly. I think it is important that clients give themselves plenty of time to prepare however.
Would you recommend Charlotte Duckworth Studio to a friend who also needed to build a site for their creative business? Most definitely. It is well worth the investment in time and money, and a very enjoyable, creative experience.
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