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An irreverent and unapologetic brand for the author of ‘Witches, Sluts, Feminists’
Kristen J. Sollée
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
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The Journey to a Rockstar Author Brand
The Initial Challenge: Bridging Two Worlds
Kristen came to us feeling stuck between two versions of herself. She wasn't a beginner: she'd written three books, been featured in The Guardian and National Geographic, and lectured at universities around the world. But her brand didn't reflect who she actually was.
Her past as a music journalist, DJ, and feminist author lived alongside her life as a historian and academic, but she had been toning herself down while trying to navigate this. “I’m between two personas, I haven’t figured out how to present who I am now, versus who I was when I started.”
Our Approach: Embracing the Full Kristen
We created a brand that embraces the dark historian, the irreverent writer, AND her rock-and-roll energy. We built her entire visual ecosystem: social media templates, high-end print materials, and collectible merch her fans would actually want.
The result is a brand that works at both academic conferences and occult conventions without ever sacrificing personality again.
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 should feature minimal (if any) explicitly political elements, to not pigeon hole her 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 her work became a “gateway drug into witchcraft” , or are pagans/witches/occultists
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
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Dark
Historical
Lush
Fun
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.
The color palette will be inspired bythe ~bisexual lighting~, featuring pink,purple, and potentially blue,complemented by neutral tones (blackand white) to balance the overall look.
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.
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 lectures on the history of witchcraft to fiction, from academic journals to her glam metal DJ past, Kristen’s new brand finally unites every facet of her career
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A singular aesthetic woven through
every touchpoint
The brand we created acknowledges her impressive academic credentials while embracing her rebellious heart. It's sophisticated enough for scholarly conferences, edgy enough to resonate with her bold audience, and distinctive enough to stand out in both the feminist literature and 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 her physical materials, checking proofs and ensuring the end result was exactly what we wanted. Aside from the attractive designs, we used special finishes worthy of her reputation, like colorful foil, blind embossing, and even made die-cut cards shaped like a triptych.
Print & Merch
Business Cards
Buttons
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Information Card
Bookmarks
Bandana/Altar Cloth
Postcards
Sticker Set
Kristen’s thoughts on her printed items
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A three-minute video of Virginia and Kristen going over her printed collateral
Social Media Templates
We equipped Kristen with everything she needs to confidently manage her 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
“About me" highlight
Custom preset
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The website before redesign
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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, articles in major publications, interviews, podcasts, and photo galleries of her adventures. 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.
Huge media library
Photos from the archives
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We also created some spellbinding animations to make her site even more delightful to explore
The new shop features merch and print items her audience is obsessed with
We also set up a fully functional shop and added the products we designed for Kristen. Now her readers can explore her books AND swag in the same place. She started receiving orders within minutes of the website going live.
Product pages
Shop page & Categories
Cart & Checkout
Every detail and easter egg was prepared with love and a touch of magic
Black cat on newsletter section
404 page but make it Kristen's
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, underground events, and mainstream press.
The new aesthetic gave her not just
a look but fresh energy for her work
Kristen said she was “obsessed” with the site and brand, and felt like it's actively boosting her confidence and fueling her writing process.
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's doing things for me already I never imagined it could!
Kristen J. Sollée
Award-winning author, educator, and raconteur
A three-minute video review by Kristen J. Sollée
Would you like to have us transform your brand like we did for this client?
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