Project Parameters

Following the October release of The Sanctuary of the Treasure Coast's new website, a donation that encompassed my skills as a graphic designer and emerging skills as a web designer, Shannon Sloan was impressed with the new site enough to enthusiastically contact me to work on her independently owned business's website. Shannon runs Reptilia Rock LLC, a reptile education program that travels to clients with live reptiles for in-person experiences. 

ReptiliaRock.com communicated what the business provided to clients, but it lacked functionality including online payment, booking, and necessary documents like a liability waiver. Aside from function, it also had some styling issues like a light pink font on a periwinkle blue background which causes visual vibration and is hard to read for many individuals. 

Essentially, reptiliarock.com needed a complete revision, keeping the core text and structure, but incorporating new features and functions. Since Shannon is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, having previously served on the Pride Alliance of the Treasure Coast's board, this project was all the more near and dear to my heart as a supportive opportunity for a member of my underserved community.

Project Visualization

Initially, Shannon and I researched like businesses. She issued concerns about her website being too colorless or bland. Similar businesses had websites that felt cluttered, overwhelmed with information and text, and lacked color, texture, or personality. Thinking of reptiles immediately brings textures like snake scales and turtle shells to my mind. Reptiles also feature a plethora of colors, from beautiful, vibrant greens and oranges to matte blacks and shiny blues. 

After the review of many sites, I believed color and texture partnered with bold imagery would make Reptilia Rock stand out.

Style Development

Reptilia Rock featured a hero video banner that didn't appear on any websites that we researched. It was my goal to keep that banner present in the new design, so I worked the video into each style concept I worked up.

I wanted a strong texture to be a part of this design since interactive touch is part of the experience. I achieved this by using watercolor to create three ombre washes on paper that were scanned and overlayed with images to create a textured, vibrant, and bold style. Shannon's animal images in combination with the watercolor textures and a few font combinations resulted in three unique style variations.

Once a style was selected, Shannon shot a new hero video featuring Mai, her albino python, and I discovered an adorable and highly communicative image of a child at one of her program showcases; the two partnered perfectly to create a new, dynamic, and attention-grabbing home page.

The style is applied throughout the website, emphasizing an experience that promises to be engaging and fun.