We recently worked with our fabulous author client C.L. Denault on a special design project for her upcoming book in the Prodigy Chronicles series. She wanted to create a visual to help readers immerse themselves in the dystopian world of the series.

Chaney, our designer was very excited to work on this project! Here is what she had to say about the experience:

• The most exciting part of the project was to try to put myself into this world. To imagine what each of these regions would be like as if I’d been there, yet through the surveillance lens of a dark, corrupt council.
• The biggest challenge was balancing getting all the details of the map represented while maintaining simplicity, sophistication, and understandability all while being displayed as if on a black translucent screen. 
• I drew reference from CL Denault’s descriptive explanation of the world and the reasons why regions became what they are - like how Wales no longer exists or Scotland area is covered in ice, etc. I also was inspired by other young adult dystopian stories and films like Hunger Games or Divergent in which a similar interactive geographical military map screen is portrayed. 
• I enjoyed working on this creative project. It gave me a fun, fresh opportunity to build a futuristic world imagined by a creative author using only shapes, color and texture. I’ve always been interested in the dystopian stories and how unlikely heroes rise against their oppressors even when it all seems hopeless and dark corruption is allowed as accepted reality in society. 

One of the reasons we love doing author web design projects is that for a moment, we get to be a part of an author's creative process. 

Our authors have created a world, something vivid, and it usually exists primarily in a prose. It’s text. And it lives in the minds of their readers. We are fortunate enough to be able to play a role of bringing a visual element into play. The writing creates emotions — and we try to create and enhance those same emotions with color, typography, texture and photography. Ideally an author’s website can become a place online where readers can go when they want to experience the world of your book. 

Creatively, it’s the author’s vision and they’re in the driver’s seat. But we bring a whole other area of expertise to the table. At its best, the creative process can become very collaborative because we work in a medium the author doesn’t — the visual realm.

Whether it’s dystopian science fiction or historical romance or a memoir about an unforgettable personal journey, readers want to be transported and they want to experience emotion. That’s the thrill of being an author. And when we work with authors, we get to share just a little bit of that creative excitement too.

We do it in service of helping them achieve their goals — connect with a wider audience, capture attention, build your platform, sell more books!