After more than ten years working in the publishing industry, author, editor and writing mentor Jamie O’Connell set up Blackwater Writing to help aspiring authors. Jamie needed a brand identity that would reflect his professionalism, industry expertise, and the high quality of his writing services. He also required an accompanying website that could serve multiple purposes – building trust, driving sales of his services for authors, representing his published works, and hosting the Good Luck with the Book podcast (launched in 2020).

Consulting with Jamie on his vision for the brand and website, we chose a visual direction that appeals to his target audience while representing the brand appropriately. I worked on three distinct brand identities before we decided on the one you see now. Then, I created a suite of branded materials which included business cards, stationery, and social media graphics. With the brand identity established, Jamie and I collaborated on the structure, content and copy for the website. I began the design process, gathered feedback to validate the prototypes, and made revisions where necessary. Once Jamie was satisfied, I produced high-fidelity mock-ups before going on to develop the website with Webflow.

The Blackwater Writing website launched in October 2020 and drew praise from many in the Irish publishing industry for its elevated design and user experience. Jamie was thrilled with both the brand identity and the digital offering. Together, the brand identity, website and social media assets have played an integral role in building Blackwater Writing.