This project demonstrates the importance of developing a thoughtful brand strategy before designing a website. When children’s author Gina Thornton hired AF, she had just published her first picture book, A Lemon Tree for Wilshire. We had a choice: we could build a basic website to market a single book, or we could craft a sophisticated platform for a budding talent. In selecting the second option, we built something that could scale easily if Gina were to publish additional titles.

We leaned into the vision of a long, fruitful writing career by designing author logos and “T” wordmarks with flourishes that allude to the titular lemon tree of her first book, while remaining abstract enough to flexibly represent Gina as her success grows. We also wanted her website to be as colourful and whimsical as the illustrations in her book. Our solution incorporates character art directly into the site’s layout and integrates an e-commerce shop, giving the client the ability to accept orders and process payments.