Well… it’s me! (Hi there, I’m Lelané 👋)
Yes, this was one of those “designer, design thyself” moments. Apart from dreaming up branding and bold visuals at Wildly By Design, I also wear the hats of author, artist, and founder of Wildly Pursuing Jesus, a creative ministry that dives deep into living God’s Word. So when I finally finished writing my first book, Unconventional Joy – A Practical Application Study of Philippians, I knew I needed to bring my A-game… and maybe rope in my team for backup (and emotional support snacks).
Writing the book? Joyful.
Designing the book and launching it into the world? Slightly terrifying.
There’s a unique pressure when you’re the client and the designer. Suddenly, fonts feel very personal. Every shade of green becomes a life-or-death decision. And don’t even get me started on layout grids. The book needed a gorgeous, meaningful cover. The interior needed to be as easy to read as it was to love. And of course, I needed a website that could not only celebrate the launch, but handle book orders, showcase creative content, and make me cry happy tears.
We went with a minimalist approach to the cover – clean lines, calming colours, and a design that whispered peace instead of shouting read me. (Although it does that too.) Since the book is all about simplifying our faith walk, the design needed to echo that message visually.
Inside, we chose a soft serif font that made the study feel gentle on the eyes and soul. Every margin, header, and paragraph was poured over with a fine-tooth design comb. We quadruple-checked the print files, made friends with our printers, and yes, may have done a little victory dance when those first few hundred copies arrived, looking stunning.
Nothing says “this is real” like a shiny new section on your website. The main attraction? A beautiful landing page for the book. The kind of page that draws you in, makes you want to scroll, and then – oops! – you’ve just bought a copy. We made sure it could handle orders seamlessly, all while reflecting the heart of the book and the ministry behind it.
Plus, since I already had existing content like art challenges, blogs, and photo galleries, the site needed to be both multifunctional and super intuitive. The result? A site that I keep visiting just to admire. (Yes, I’m that person.)
This project was deeply personal. Seeing my book in physical form and watching people respond to it has been an absolute joy (unconventional, even). Designing for myself may have been the ultimate challenge, but thanks to the wildly talented crew at Wildly By Design (and a steady supply of coffee), we created something I’m genuinely proud of.
I can honestly say: if we can make me happy as a client, we can handle just about anything.
Not sure where to begin? Just need a sounding board? We’re here for all of it.
