How Lauren’s Website Redesign Helped Her Reach New Audiences
- SCOPE: Client Case Studies, Website Design
STUDIO CASE STUDY
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As a website designer, I work with clients in many different industries. I especially love working with clients who are passionate about making a difference in the world — and Lauren E. Oakes definitely fits that bill.
Meet Lauren: Scientist, Storyteller, and Celebrated Author
Lauren is a passionate scientist and award-winning author. Her books and articles have inspired readers around the globe, earning acclaim through to Lauren’s captivating blend of science and storytelling.
With a new book on the horizon, Lauren knew it was time to reevaluate her online presence. She wanted to replace her outdated website with a modern design that positioned her as a thought leader, author, and keynote speaker.
No Free Time, But Ready for Change
When I met first Lauren, she wore many hats. She juggled everything from research to writing and speaking engagements.
Lauren didn’t have a lot of extra time to dedicate to her website. As a result, it was long overdue for updates. But Lauren knew that a few quick edits wouldn’t be enough.
The old website was cluttered with information. Lauren wanted to overhaul the design and fix the layout issues. Plus, she wanted that missing wow factor that she saw on other authors’ websites.
“My website was too busy,” Lauren explains. “I felt like it was trying to do way too much.”
Lauren had worked hard on her new book, and she wanted a website worthy of her efforts. She envisioned a modern new website — thoughtfully designed, visually impressive, and easy for her to maintain.
Lauren was also thinking of the future. She wanted the new website to showcase her speaking experience and attract more in-person engagements as she planned a tour promoting her new book.
In short, Lauren was ready for a strategic, elegant new online presence — and that’s where Studio Anansi came in.
— Lauren E. Oakes
What Did Lauren Really Need?
From our first meeting, I knew that Lauren needed more than just a few pretty design flourishes. She was ready for a strategic overhaul of her entire website.
Lauren deserved a site that was visually appealing, easy to navigate, and effectively communicated her niche — and I was eager to deliver.
Finding the Problems, Then Building Solutions
I started with background research and talked with Lauren to identify her main website problems. Starting with her website problems allowed me to design a new site that fixed those problems and met her needs.
This process is crucial for all my projects. It makes up the “diagnose your challenges” step in the Momentum Design framework by Studio Anansi, which is the strategy behind my signature Future Planning Website Design process.
I identified three problems Lauren experienced with her website:
Problem 1: Visitors felt overwhelmed and lost on Lauren’s old website.
The old site was designed as a single page, crammed with lengthy sections that listed her experience and biography. This “one-page” organization made it hard for visitors to find information, and it reduced the number of pages that appeared in search results.
For the new site, I created individual pages to showcase Lauren’s background, writing history, and books. In addition to making navigation a breeze, these pages help improve her search engine rankings by diversifying her keywords and results.
Problem 2: Readers were unsure about Lauren’s scientific focus.
The old site lacked a clear narrative, which confused her audience and was potentially limiting her from speaking and writing opportunities.
For the new site, I crafted a compelling narrative and tagline that unites her background, writing experience, and areas of expertise. I also created a portfolio of her articles and press coverage, using visual logos to retain reader attention.
Problem 3: Lauren’s old website didn’t showcase her speaking experience nor facilitate future speaking engagements.
Lauren is a celebrated speaker and event facilitator, but you wouldn’t know it from her old website. The site didn’t highlight her speaking experience and outstanding feedback from past event organizers.
For the new website, I created a dedicated page highlighting her availability as a speaker. The page includes testimonials to build credibility and multiple buttons, making it easy for visitors to book Lauren for their events.
Besides addressing Lauren’s main problems, I also added modern design elements for cohesion and visual wow factor:
- New Branding: I used organic, nature-inspired colors to evoke Lauren’s focus on sustainability and match her existing book covers.
- Enhanced Visuals: To make the site more engaging, I added visuals and graphics that break up the text.
- Personalization: People connect with people — so I added Lauren’s photo front-and-center on the homepage to help visitors connect with her.
— Lauren E. Oakes
What Was Lauren’s Experience?
Throughout the design process, I shared mockups and gathered Lauren’s feedback. Building a website is like any custom design — the more we could share feedback and discussion during the design process, the better we were able to stay on the same page and minimize lengthy revisions down the road.
As the new website came together, I also added her technical touches, such as SEO headers and settings to boost her site’s performance and security.
Finally, it was time to launch Lauren’s new website. After completing my pre-launch checklist, I migrated the site to her hosting and sent her the good news — her new site was offiicaly live.
Reaching New Heights
Lauren is thrilled with the new website design. “It’s an impressive author site,” she says. “It’s clean and with a slick design, modern but also natural in feel.”
The new site is already improving Lauren’s online presence. Visitors can now easily find details about Lauren’s biography, articles, and speaking experience. Plus, her focus is crystal clear thanks to the narrative and tagline that I crafted for her.
Lauren herself has received positive feedback from colleagues and found it easy to share her work. “It’s already been helpful to share with editors who may be interested in working with me.”
Lauren put it best in her own words: “I’m very grateful for Studio Anansi! I really enjoyed building the site with Elliot. Her design process helped me think through what I wanted to achieve with this new site. All her questions pre-design were also helpful in that respect. She put all that guidance to use with her own creative vision and expertise. Thank you!”
Looking ahead, Lauren plans to use her new website to reach a wider audience and secure more speaking opportunities. With her site now acting as a strong foundation, she’s set to make an even greater impact with her writing and speaking.
Thank you for the opportunity to redesign your website, Lauren!
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