October 2022 was a fun month. I traveled to Waco, Texas and speak at Achieve Conference. This is where I had the joy of meeting Kelsey and Ryan – the Newbuild Newlyweds – who were also speaking. It's so rare I get to meet clients in person, so it was fantastic to work with people I've met.
For those unfamiliar with them, The Newbuild Newlyweds are a DIY duo who rose to fame rather quickly on TikTok when they shared their cat Stella's bedroom that they built into their home. They are a super fun pair who are always renovating. So I knew their site had to be as fun as they are, so we pulled a font and colour palette to match their aesthetic.
The Illustrations:
Once we started drawing out the website design I knew I had to add in some custom illustrations for them. We needed a little dose of Stella sprinkled around the website, along with some of their tools. We also included a few frames from Stella's gallery wall to detail her “virtual” bedroom.
The Secret Cat Bedroom:
Throughout their design we have a lot of fun interactive sections:
- The about page has a “his or hers” quiz you can play around with.
- The shop our home page has different rooms you can explore.
- And my favourite, the website footer has a cat door that leads to Stella's secret bedroom.
When Kelsey booked me, I instantly knew what I wanted to do with their new blog. And as insane as it must sound to most people, I knew the answer was a secret cat bedroom. Believe me, I ran this past a group of designers at a retreat the week I started drawing it out, and although they did think it was awesome, there was a bit of a “what are you talking about” look across their faces.
The Website Design:
Overall, I am madly in love with what we have created with their website. It's a great place they can share all of their projects, and all of their tools and supplies in a way their readers can easily find and navigate. Brands can learn how to work with them, and then be sent their private media kit upon inquiry. Superfans can go to their gear store and purchase their merchandise. I feel it all has so much personality and fits them so well.
Email Marketing:
One thing I spoke through with Kelsey when they booked in was email opt-ins. They opted for our email marketing set-up package, where we design and set up a lead magnet. The topic “5 must have tools to start DIYing” was chosen as it's a question they are constantly asked on social media. We created an 8-page booklet that subscribers are automatically sent when signing up for the email list.
