Homepage rebranding

Project: Redesign an existing website homepage while remaining true to the brand identity.

Design overview: I focused first on the hero image, which I created in Photoshop using a royalty-free image of a medical diagram of a heart, select filters and masking to create a pulsing color palette, and a clipping mask effect to overlay the text. I had such a clear idea of what I wanted for this central image, so I built the rest of the site around it by stripping away unnecessary details in the layout.

Result: A cleaner, sharper website and brand that draws in the eye and allows the user to focus on a single, arresting line of a beautiful poem.

(Note: The website underwent an update since I first worked on this project in early 2025, and I’m pleased to say that it’s similar to the cleaner vibe I was going for here!)

The process

I loved the stark color palette of the original site (red, white, and black) but the version of the site I adapted was a bit cluttered with too many competing images and elements.

In rethinking the landing page, I wanted to highlight a single poem against a more minimalist background. I chose one of my favorite poems to play with (“Heart to Heart” by Rita Dove) and created this Duotone-ish image with the main refrain of the poem to mimic the sound of a beating heart described by Dove—”I want, I want.” I used this as a starting point, and simplified the main navigation and side navigation menus to give the hero image space to breathe.

Final product

Here’s how it all turned out!