I took a web design class for grad school, and we had to create an entire website, logo, web banner ads, landing page, social media, blog, and full campaign for a fictional company of our choice. Below is my entire campaign and write ups on my design decisions (as well as some Easter eggs I slipped into the project). I ended this class with an A.

Here’s my final logo for my fictional home improvement company: Lincoln Log Homes & Furnishings. The colors were chosen to depict both the green of the forest log homes are often built near, and orange associated with construction work. The icon itself represents both a home with a window, as well as a tree with a tree trunk.

Some initial designs as I explored options:

Once the logo was complete, we had to create two different-sized web banner ads that would take potential customers to a landing page of our own design. This is where I began to get a feeling for my brand styles, and took elements from the logo’s rounded tapered edges to create recognizable shapes as buttons and banners. I also chose to feature a log cabin with a green roof as an unofficial mascot of Lincoln Log (since the original toy line often had green roofs).

Once the ad banners were complete, I created a landing page (which you can still visit). The arrows used throughout the page is the same shape as the roof in my original logo, which continues to strengthen the visual brand and create cohesion. This is also where I began to build a verbal brand, choosing to use the word “honest” when possible, tying the connection with Abraham Lincoln and his nickname, Honest Abe. We also see a recurring appearance of the green-roofed log house and the vector background.

A fun fact about the testimonials is that neither person’s face exists (though the names do) –I took AI-created profile pictures from this website: https://thispersondoesnotexist.com.

Next up was social media rebranding. While thankfully I wasn’t required to actually make individual accounts for this fictional company, I had to create mockups for three different social media platforms. I chose Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (as per specification, we had to pick platforms that allowed ample design opportunities–so Instagram was out).

I continued to use the “swoosh” from the logo and web buttons, the vector background, and the cabin as my visual design elements, as well as continue with the honesty branding.

A fun fact for these platforms is that many of the photos depicted are actual photos of my basement, which got a log cabin remodel several years previously and was a strong inspiration for this entire project.

After the social media, I had to create a blog (yes, a blog for a home improvement company). We used WordPress and I had to include at least two plugins that would be used by a website user.

I decided to make the blog about log cabin stories, opting to use another Lincoln reference by calling it “A House United.” It was intended to read like a Reader’s Digest online, exclusively about log-cabin-related stories.

At the time of this post, you can still explore the mock blog here, check out the screenshots below, or you can click through the PDF I sent to my instructor: Lincoln Log WordPress.

As I was already a WordPress user, once I got past the hurdle of picking a theme (a…very familiar theme, at that…), I went crazy with the customization and personality.

Someone who knows me well might be able to pick up on a number of Easter eggs I hid throughout the site:

• First, a number of my book characters are either blog writers or commenters, and all their bios are written true to their personalities (while not necessarily canon, of course). Their profile pictures come from their individual WIP Pinterest boards.
• Second, yes, I did personally write all the submission guidelines, deliberately basing them off of Reader’s Digest.
• Third, a number of blog posts (namely the last three, and only visible if you go to theactual blog) are also personally written by me. Some may recognize them as old blog posts from this site.
• Fourth, many of the blog posts are written by the fictional editors according to their personal bios. So Tony, who likes wood working, is going to be the one to post about unusual cabinetry. Many of the blogs also begins with an introduction paragraph written in the voice of that character. The same is true for the comments, which subtly reflect the way that character would post and what would interest him (I know, I was over the top).
• Fifth, Baker Creek (top blog post) is actually the original source of my log cabin obsessions. We visited once on a family vacation and it sparked our dreams of remodeling our basement to remind us of an all-time perfect trip.
• And my greatest Easter egg I left for my instructor to find. If you click the WordPress button at the top of the homepage, you’ll be sent to this super secret page.

As for plugins, I used the following:

• WP User Avatar (for author photos)
• Formidable (for submission forms)
• Jetpack (for additional widgets)
• Elementor (for layout)

After the blog, I had to make a website (yes, a blog and a website). This was the hard part, since I never learned DreamWeaver in undergrad, and easily took half the semester. While the website is only accessible for one year (mid 2020 it’ll lose its hosting), you can check out the screenshots I saved:

Easter eggs! Yes, although I had less time to overachieve on this half, I did manage to slip in a few fun secrets:

• First, if you check out the About page, the verrryy good looking construction team are three of my favorite, lesser-known actors. Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Wyatt Logan from Timeless) and Shahar Isaac and Lara Silva (Simon Peter and his wife, Eden, from The Chosen). I chose to combine their actor name with the character they name–just to have an extra level of funny.
• Second, the address for the company, “President Way” is a spoof off the street address where I grew up, with Kentucky being the state in which Lincoln grew up. (Honestly, I can’t remember why I chose Ashville, but I know I had a reason.)
• Third, more of a clarification than an Easter egg, is the junk text on each page. The original template I downloaded to help me with the project included it in their paragraphs, but a few people have raised an eyebrow when they attempted to read it. Sounds like whoever wrote it was going through a spiritual and existential crisis.
• Fourth, and probably my favorite Easter egg, is the reviews. Yes, once again, I used the This Person Does Not Exist website for each face, but beyond that, each name is a name of a character in my novel, with a few having exceptions (Arnon Sign, for example, is a combination between two characters, since I didn’t want Arnon and his wife Ionia to both sport the last name of Brook in the reviews). Another character’s name was modified to protect beta readers from severe spoilers. What’s unsettling is that there’s at least one murderer villain listed there, smiling and thanking the website for their work on his basement.
• Fifth, the gallery shows places I’ve been (or chains I’ve visited), with the exception of the Full Build in New Mexico. The basement renovation, fireplace renovation, and single room are all photos of the house in which I grew up, with the A-frame being a photo I took during a family reunion up north.
• Sixth, less an Easter egg and more a mistake, you can see the original email from the template package I downloaded, which was originally a trucking website template.

For the final part of the semester, we had to test our website with ten willing test subjects, and finally–finally–we in my class were able to declare our home improvement campaigns to be completed.