Client Overview
Creative Repute, a design agency founded by industry professionals with a passion for community-driven design, had the unique opportunity to collaborate with Jenn M. Jackson and Daren W. Jackson, the dynamic founders of Colored Convos Media. The agency was tasked with creating a digital platform that would be the cornerstone of Jenn and Daren’s work to amplify Black, queer, and liberationist narratives. This was not just a website development project; it was a chance to craft a digital ecosystem that could house their diverse initiatives, including educational resources, content creation, community engagement, and storytelling.
The Challenge
Jenn and Daren came to Creative Repute with a bold vision. They wanted to establish an online presence for Colored Convos Media that reflected their shared commitment to progressive ideals. Their vision was one that seamlessly blended activism, community-building, and content creation. The website had to serve as a hub for multiple initiatives, ranging from educational webinars and workshops to supporting the podcast and future literary endeavors, while still feeling like a cohesive and welcoming space for their target audience.
Our Approach
The project began with an in-depth exploration of the goals and values of Jenn and Daren, as well as an analysis of their target audience—Black millennials, Black queer folx, and those interested in radical politics. This helped Creative Repute better understand the core message and tone that needed to resonate through the digital space. This foundational research was key to informing both the aesthetic and functional design of the website.
Branding, Design, and User Experience
One of the key goals for the Colored Convos Media website was to make sure that it was not just another corporate-looking platform. Jenn and Daren wanted a site that felt deeply rooted in Black culture, being inclusive of a range of body types and ways people show up in the world, as well as queer, radical, and liberationist aesthetics. This meant infusing the site with bold colors, accessible fonts, and imagery that reflected their values. Creative Repute dove into this process by analyzing existing content, visual cues from their branding materials, and exploring potential directions that could make the site stand out while remaining true to the founders’ identity.
The design was intentionally minimalistic in some places but visually vibrant in others. This approach ensured the website was not only attractive but also functional and user-friendly. It allowed the content to shine without overwhelming the visitor with unnecessary design elements. Throughout the design process, Creative Repute worked with Jenn and Daren to ensure every element—from color palettes, to nods to traditional cultural textiles and mud cloth patterns, to the typography—aligned with the spirit of Colored Convos Media. In the end, the design was clean, modern, and visually compelling, drawing visitors in with its thoughtfulness and accessibility.
Website Structure and Functionality
The website itself was intended to serve as a multifaceted hub for Colored Convos Media’s activities. At the core of the project was the need for an easy-to-navigate structure that could house different types of content, including blog posts, podcasts, videos, educational resources, and calls to action. The site was not just about promoting Jenn and Daren’s work, but also about fostering a community. The experience needed to be cohesive for users, allowing them to effortlessly explore the different sections and engage with the content.
Creative Repute crafted an intuitive layout, ensuring that the podcast episodes—which are central to Colored Convos Media’s output—had a prominent place. Instead of a website with a navigation menu and multiple subpages, the website is a long landing page that serves as a gateway to other websites with resources, with a spotlight on the latest content published by Jenn and Daren. Visitors are greeted with calls to action, such as subscribing to the podcast, engaging with social media, or supporting Colored Convos Media through Patreon and other donation channels. The website is designed to encourage interaction and engagement, allowing users to easily connect with the content, leave comments, and share ideas.
The site also integrates eCommerce capabilities, allowing Jenn and Daren to sell both digital and physical products, such as books, merchandise, and access to exclusive workshops. This functionality supports their ability to monetize content and ensure long-term sustainability and growth. Additionally, a dedicated section collects information from participants interested in applying for crowdfunding opportunities or getting paid for their own content creation. The events page, designed with drag-and-drop capabilities, offers an intuitive way to manage webinars, live workshops, and other events seamlessly.
Technical Implementation
While the aesthetic and user experience were paramount, Creative Repute also ensured that the website was built using the most modern technologies, providing a solid foundation for scalability and performance. The website was developed using WordPress, a platform that offers flexibility and ease of use, and optimized for performance across desktop and mobile devices. Given the diverse content types being integrated (podcasts, videos, text, eCommerce, etc.), it was essential that the site functioned smoothly and efficiently, providing a fast and seamless experience for visitors.
To ensure high site performance, Creative Repute implemented optimized hosting solutions and content delivery networks (CDNs) that ensure fast loading times, regardless of the visitor’s location. The team also ensured that the site was secure, with regular security monitoring and updates during development, as well as plugins for contunuiour security after launch, providing peace of mind to both Jenn and Daren and their audience.
Additionally, the website was designed to be future-proof, with a focus on flexibility and scalability. The back-end was structured in a way that allowed for easy integration of future features such as new digital content, courses, and expanded eCommerce functionality. This focus on long-term growth ensures that the website can evolve alongside Colored Convos Media’s expanding vision.
Marketing and Engagement Strategy
As part of Creative Repute’s work with Jenn and Daren, the agency also focused on the marketing strategy for the site. Recognizing that Colored Convos Media is a community-driven platform, Creative Repute ensured that the website’s design was aligned with the social media strategies already in place. The team incorporated links to key social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to encourage cross-platform engagement. Creative Repute also connected to Instagram’s API so that posts to the social media website would automatically populate on the website as well. By integrating these channels into the website’s layout, Creative Repute helped ensure that users could easily follow the brand’s activity and engage in discussions across platforms.
A key aspect of the website’s engagement strategy was to create a space for interaction that extends beyond just the content itself. Creative Repute equipped Jenn and Daren with the tools to incorporate a comment section, community forums, and easy access to Patreon links, enabling their audience to directly support Colored Convos Media’s ongoing work. Jenn and Daren were particularly focused on generating financial support to sustain the project. To facilitate this, Creative Repute ensured the website prominently featured the shopping cart, which securely accepts payments through major platforms, including credit cards, ACH, debit cards, PayPal, and CashApp.
Ongoing Support and Future Developments
As part of Creative Repute’s comprehensive service, the agency provided Jenn and Daren with post-launch support. This involved monitoring the site’s performance, fixing any technical issues that arose, and implementing minor updates to the content. Additionally, Creative Repute offered guidance on how to continue growing the website’s audience and how to leverage analytics for future content strategies. Creative Repute also implemented a pop-up to encourage visitors to subscribe to the newsletter before leaving the website.
Given the dynamic nature of the Colored Convos Media brand, the site was built to adapt over time. Future iterations of the site will focus on expanding the educational component of the platform, introducing more workshops, consulting opportunities, and webinars that cater to Black, queer, and radical writers and creatives. With Creative Repute’s ongoing support, Jenn and Daren have the flexibility to expand the site as needed, providing their audience with new resources, content, and opportunities for engagement.
Results
The collaboration between Creative Repute and Colored Convos Media resulted in a digital platform that not only met the immediate needs of Jenn and Daren’s vision but also positioned the brand for growth and success in the future. The website serves as the foundation for their broader mission of building community and creating space for marginalized voices, particularly in the realms of literature, culture, and activism. Creative Repute’s commitment to quality design, user experience, and ongoing support was instrumental in bringing this vision to life, helping Jenn and Daren lay the groundwork for Colored Convos Media’s continued success.
Project Summary
- Client: Colored Convos Media (Jenn M. Jackson and Daren W. Jackson)
- Services: Brand Identity, Website Design & Development, Collateral Design, Campaign Materials, Social Media Templates, Newsletter Templates, Art Poster, Tutorials
- Platform: Custom-designed Squarespace CMS
- Tools Used: Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, WordPress CMS, Elementor Pro, WooCommerce, Stripe API, Instagram API, Mailchimp API
