Along with numerous redesigns of this website, which has evolved from an embarrassingly bad version 1.0 (May 2014) that involved HEAVY use of drop-shadows and an awkward and unintuitive UI to the version you now see before you, I also designed and developed the website for fantasy author J.V. Hilliard.
With one-on-one meetings to discuss the scope, budget, and vision of the project the site was created with HTML, CSS and JavaScript and serves as the primary sales funnel for his books. A MailChimp newsletter was also designed and implemented so fans can stay abreast of his signings, appearances and new book releases. The family crests and sigils that I created will eventually be sold as promotional items like those seen in the Typography / Product Design section of this site. They'll also be included in the soon-to-be released augmented reality game "The Realm of Warminster."
THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN INDEPENDENTLY UPDATED BY THE CLIENT WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR INPUT. I'VE ADDED SCREENSHOTS FROM MY LOCAL DRIVE DEPICTING THE ORIGINAL FILES AS THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.
September 30, 2023 - 10:49pm EST
September 30, 2023 - 10:49pm EST
Original design of hero section prior to "reworking"
Original design of News & Events section prior to "reworking"
Landing page for Book One
Site designed with MFD in mind
Proposed landing page for Book Two
Proposed hero section for Book Two
The First Families: the Sigils of Warminster
The initial idea for The Realm section was one that brought back memories of console-based RPG video games of the 1990s and early 2000s with which the target audience is familiar. The design combines nostalgia and intrigue. The blend of bold vs. drab colors was meant to draw in the eye and keep the user scrolling down to find the CTAs at the bottom to join the MailChimp newsletter and, of course, buy the book.
For the sake of uniformity, and to make the site more cohesive, we decided to go with the parchment and quill design for The realm section, which I actually quite like, to maintain the look and feel of the News & Events section. Using shading and textures I wanted to add depth and texture to make it appear as a book and keep the user scrolling all the way to the end where they would find CTAs to join the MailChimp newsletter and, of course, buy the book which is now an Amazon best seller.
Where the scroll and quill design breaks down is when responsiveness enters into the picture. Since the chosen font (Estonia) may have readability issues when scaling it down for mobile devices, I incorporated a simpler version of the console game design theme. The left side shows the current version (not my work) the right shows how the site is meant to be displayed (my work). This is from the News & Events section.
From creative brief to reality: the Sigils of Warminster
Alongside the initial creative brief, these are just a pair of the dozens of familial and regional sigils that I created for this project. The rest are on display at the author's website. SVG versions are available from me upon request as long as they are not used for any commercial or financial gain, or infringe upon any IP.
creative brief - sigils
House Eldwal
This is a continuation of the project depicted above. It's a second batch of sigils to accompany the new characters revealed in subsequent books. As these images are awaiting payment, they remain the sole property of Luke A. Bruss and may not be used for any reason, in whole or in part.
