1. Newsletters at The Architectural Review
Problem
- Newsletters responsible for less than 5% of web traffic
- Click-through rate to articles was low
- Treated only as a directory to articles, not as a messaging platform in itself
- Opportunity to personalize reader engagement being missed
Design Response
- Moved to Designmodo Postcards builder for greater design flexibility
- Introduced a ‘hero story’, giving readers the first three paragraphs with a link to read more
- New top-line bullet points with a personable voice
- Brand fonts for Apple Mail inboxes and web browsers
- Clean design language drawn from the print magazine
- Highlighted the print magazine with a clear purchase CTA
- New spaces for ‘blog-like’ editor’s updates and announcements
- More prominent subscription CTAs
My Role
- Design, code (HTML, CSS), copywriting, data analytics, project management
Impact
- CTRs to articles up 80% and to subscriptions page up 140%
- Increased reader engagement via email feedback and responses
2. Subscriptions page at The Architectural Review
Problem
- Just 12% of visitors to the previous page clicked through to the payments platform
- Contributing factors: lack of brand storytelling, overwhelming options, muddled and outdated design
Design Response
- Hierarchical brand story led by the magazine’s best value propositions
- Simple structure and clean, refreshing design
- Clearer CTAs and price messaging
My Role
- Design, code (HTML, CSS, JS), copywriting, data analytics, project management
Impact
- Click-through rate to payments platform up 70%
3. Technical vector graphics at The Architectural Review
For two years as Digital Editor and Digital Editorial Assistant at the AR, I contributed to editing and designing vector drawing layouts for the print magazine.
Preparing the drawings for print requires highly technical processes. The files arrive in a variety of formats and often require extensive work to be made press-ready. A set of drawings should give the reader full spatial and technical understanding of the building, without being a chore to read. The drawing should hold visual character whilst being descriptive and balancing the page: always elevating the piece rather than detracting from it.
I made strategic changes to both the drawing style guide and workflow processes at the AR. For the Extensions issue, I introduced a color key to instantly distinguish the ”extension“ and ”existing” parts of buildings. By transitioning to new multi-threaded software and developing process-specific shortcuts and workflow improvements, I cut the average process time for each drawing set by 40%, a critical improvement that meant drawings never held up production.
4. Social Media Storytelling
Post templates I’ve developed across carousels and reels to communicate articles and stories
5. Websites
My portfolio
A ground-up WordPress CMS with multiple page templates, complex metadata and backend systems. Built with raw code in Github repositories for an entirely custom theme. And yes, I worked a lot with Claude Code.
Website for a psychotherapist
A simple site with a rich design language drawn from the themes and methodologies of my client’s practice.
