Creating an Online Home
To help support the release of her new book, From Chronically Stressed to Fully Blessed, Dr. Gretchen Reis needed a website that could introduce both her and her work online. I had the opportunity to design and build her website as a freelancer for Market Refined Media.
One of the things I enjoy about working alongside other designers is getting to build on work they’ve already created. From the start, this project had a lot going for it. Nelly had already created a beautiful book design, and it gave me a strong visual foundation for the website.
The first thing that stood out to me about the book design was the imagery. The cover features a bench sitting in green grass, surrounded by deep trees and overlooking distant mountains. The colors are vibrant while still feeling light and airy, creating a calm and serene atmosphere that I wanted to carry throughout the website.
When the design direction is this clear, transitioning it into a different medium feels like a natural next step. That’s part of what I love about web design. It feels organized and systematic, with familiar building blocks that provide structure, while still offering seemingly endless possibilities for how everything comes together.
Since the website’s purpose was to support the book’s release, I wanted to keep the experience simple and focused. The site is a single-page website, with navigation links that smoothly guide visitors to different sections of the homepage. Visitors can quickly learn about Dr. Gretchen Reis, explore the book, and find the information they’re looking for without navigating through multiple pages.
With the structure established, I focused on carrying the book’s visual identity into the design. Imagery from the cover remained front and center at the top of the page, while supporting stock photos helped reinforce the content throughout the site.
To preserve the feel of the book design, I chose a soft off-white background instead of a stark white. The greens, muted yellows, and cool blues pulled directly from the cover artwork helped create a cohesive experience between the printed book and the website.
One feature that was important to the client was showcasing the book itself. She wanted visitors to get a sense of what they would receive before purchasing, so I created an open-book mockup and gave it plenty of surrounding space to help it stand out. Sometimes a little extra breathing room is all a design element needs to make an impact.
I designed and built the website in WordPress, while Mandy handled the project logistics and launch. When Dr. Gretchen Reis reviewed the completed website design, her response was simple: “It looks amazing!!!” It’s always rewarding to see a client excited about the final result!
Looking back, this project was a great reminder of how much thoughtful planning happens before the design phase even begins. Between the strong visual direction, organized content, and clear goals, I was able to focus on creating a website that felt like a natural extension of the book.