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An irreverent and unapologetic brand for the
author of ‘Witches, Sluts, Feminists’
Kristen J. Sollée
Brand identity
Social Media Templates
Website
If a glam rock journalist, a witch professor, anda gothic novelist had a threesome, you'd get... Kristen J Sollée. And a brand so cool she started getting merch orders as soon as the site was live
The Journey to a Rockstar Author Brand
The Initial Challenge:
Bridging Two Worlds
Kristen came to us with a unique dilemma. She was far from an emerging writer — her career already spanned three acclaimed books, international translations, and lectures at universities, festivals, and even a yurt in Wales. Her work had appeared in The Guardian, National Geographic, and Teen Vogue, earning her a devoted global audience.
Yet, despite her success, Kristen felt caught between identities. “I’m between two personas, I haven’t figured out how to present who I am now, versus who I was when I started.” Her past life as a music journalist, DJ, and feminist blogger existed alongside her role as an academic, historian, and now, an emerging horror novelist.
Our Approach:
Embracing the Full Kristen
We set out to create a brand that embraced the entire Kristen — her dark historical depth, irreverent wit, and rock-and-roll energy. Every element was intentional: from a blackletter logo suite that could grace either a scholarly book or a glam metal poster, to a bold “bisexual lighting” color palette of saturated pinks and purples.
Beyond the visuals, we built a complete ecosystem—social media templates, high-end print materials, and collectible merch her fans would actually covet. The result was a brand that could hold its own at both an academic conference and an occult convention, without losing an ounce of personality.
When discussing Kristen’s clients, we found out some interesting things that directed our project:
01
Curious and Open-Minded people, eager to explore unconventional ideas about the occult and history. Love to look beyond the surface and explore less mainstream topics.
02
They embrace leftist, socialist, or liberal views, passionate about feminism and societal impact. Her fiction books will not be as explicitly political as non-fiction, so the brand and site will feature minimal (if any) explicitly political elements, to not pigeon hole you as “someone who talks about politics”. We can connect with her people with the aesthetic alone.
03
Familiar with the occult on some level. Either grew up liking witches and your work became a “gateway drug into witchcraft” , or are pagans/witches/occultists They embrace leftist, socialist, or liberal views, passionate about feminism and societal impact.
04
They usually have darker aesthetic tastes, maybe are goth/alt of some sort, and find beauty and intrigue in themes that others may deem frightening, so we have the freedom to design a brand that leans (a bit) into the dark side, without the fear of scaring them away
OUR CONCEPT
The base for Kristen Aesthetic
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And then... we made this concept visual
Brand icon that features anillustration of a cat eye, with arebellious flair and a subliminalmessage that will be revealed on thefollowing pages.
For the logo, we will use blackletter,and the initials will be customized witha more medieval vibe.
For the logo, we will use blackletter,and the initials will be customized witha more medieval vibe.
The body copy will utilize a classicserif font that conveys a polished,academic tone.
Medieval-style illustrations willbe incorporated throughout thevisual identity, alone or deliveringa humorous or irreverent quote.
For titles and display, the plan is tohave an "ancient manuscript" stylefont + a blackletter accent font forquotes and highlighted words.
Layouts will be structured,symmetrical, and balanced, addingorder to chaos, while other elementswill embody the rebelliousness andboldness.
Incorporate textures that evokethe look of Xerox prints for aunique tactile quality a a subtlenod to zines and indepentent print.
A set of images will be created tosimulate a dreamy aesthetic, utilizingthe brand colors and incorporating lensflare effects.
And a preset will help correct thecolors of everyday photos, ensuringthey harmonize with the color palette
Disclaimer: The images used in this moodboard are for inspirational purposes only and do not belong to me. They are sourced from various platforms like Pinterest and Google. All credit goes to their respective creators.
The identity captures the contradictions
that make Kristen magnetic
From witchcraft lectures to horror fiction, from academic journals to glam rock stages — Kristen’s new brand finally unites every facet of her career.
A singular aesthetic woven through
every touchpoint
The brand we've created acknowledges her impressive academic credentials while embracing her punk rock heart and novelist ambitions. It's sophisticated enough for scholarly conferences, edgy enough for horror conventions, and distinctive enough to stand out in both the feminist literature and occult fiction markets.
As we move into the website development phase, Kristen now has a brand system that matches the ambition and scope of her career. She's no longer caught between personas, she has a unified identity that celebrates her complexity and gives her the confidence to market herself authentically.
We managed the whole process with the printing companies to produce the physical materials, checking proofs and ensuring that they strictly followed the standards of the new visual identity. High-end materials worthy of her reputation: holographic foil thank you cards, die-cut information cards that literally open new doors, and business cards that make a statement.
Print & Packaging
Business Cards
Buttons
Information Card
Bookmarks
Bandana/Altar Cloth
Postcards
Sticker Set
Let's unbox it together
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A one-minute video of Virginia unboxing printed collateral
Social Media Templates
We equipped Ashlee with everything she needs to confidently manage their social presence, from ready-to-post Instagram graphics to customizable Canva templates. This way, she can stay consistently on-brand with minimal effort. Just double click the text on Canva, and start typing.
Post templates and Story backgrounds
Reel covers
Highlight covers
A Brand as Complex as Its Creator
“Start Here” highlights
Custom preset
The website before redesign
And my favorite part:
the redesigned website
We designed Kristen J. Sollée’s website to reflect her multi-layered identity—scholar, storyteller, and rock-and-roll provocateur. The result is an immersive online presence that feels as magnetic, unconventional, and unforgettable as Kristen herself.
From content overload to curated brilliance, where every article, interview and photo finds its place
Kristen had a lot to share: her own essays, glowing write-ups in major publications, interviews, podcasts, and whole galleries of behind-the-scenes photos and extra materials. We turned that beautiful chaos into a clear, easy-to-navigate hub, so visitors can find what they want in seconds and Kristen can keep adding new materials to the site with just a few clicks in the CMS.
Huge media library
Photos from the archives
Spellbinding animation
that complements storytelling
The new shop brings her work
even closer to her audience
We also set up a fully functional shop and added the key products Kristen was excited to offer her audience. Now her readers can explore her books, merch, and special items right on the site, making it easy for fans to take a little piece of her world home.
Product pages
Shop page & Categories
Cart & Checkout
Every detail and easter egg was prepared with love and a touch of magic
You will be hooked on this cat animation
Magic page 404
Even interaction with the menu
We set up a whole instructions page so Kristen can manage her content after the launch
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The impact of this transformation went far beyond aesthetics
Kristen finally found a brand that
unites all sides of her career
The branding resolved her struggle of being “between two personas.” Now she has a unified identity that works equally well for lectures, horror conventions, and mainstream press.
The new aesthetic gave her not just
alook but fresh energy for her work
Kristen said she was “obsessed” with the site and brand. The aesthetic didn’t just represent her, it actively fueled her writing process and boosted her confidence.
Kristen can now show
up powerfully everywhere
With a full brand suite *logo, palette, typography, digital assets, print materials, and merchandise* Kristen can confidently maintain a cohesive and impactful presence across all platforms.
I am obsessed with this site and brand and it'sdoing things for me already I never imagined it could!
Kristen J. Sollée
Award-winning author, educator, and raconteur
Would you like to have us transform your brand like we did for this client?
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