yaba blayYaba Blay is Amplifying Black Culture & Storytelling
TypePersonal Brand
rolesWeb Design
Web Development
Creative Research
CreativesPhotography: Adedayo Kosoko
Styling: Shannon Christian
The Overview
Dr. Blay is a scholar, cultural worker, and author whose work focuses on the lived experiences of Black women and girls. She needed a digital space that could act as both a professional platform and a cultural archive, highlighting her books, media features, and global impact.
The Challenge
Her existing online presence wasn’t fully communicating the depth of her work or providing an easy way for visitors to explore her projects. The challenge was to design a site that could serve multiple audiences—readers, educators, and media—while honoring the richness of her voice and storytelling.
The Research & Discovery
We identified three core user groups:
Readers & Supporters – looking to learn more about Yaba’s work and purchase her books.
Educators & Institutions – seeking resources, event details, and scholarly contributions.
Media & Partners – needing access to press kits, interviews, and contact information.
Our research confirmed the site needed to balance scholarship, accessibility, and storytelling, while making it easy for visitors to take action—whether booking, reading, or purchasing.
Hi-Fidelity Wireframes
We built a design framework that placed Yaba’s voice and imagery at the forefront.
Homepage narrative introduces her mission clearly.
Books & Projects sections highlight her contributions in an engaging, scannable format.
Media & Press areas showcase her global presence.
Clean navigation ensures visitors can easily find what matters most to them.
Final HomepageThe Design Solution
The final site is bold, clean, and unapologetic—mirroring Yaba’s work. Large visuals, clear hierarchy, and accessible layouts guide visitors seamlessly. The site became not just a professional portfolio but a digital extension of her cultural impact.
Design Impact
For Yaba Blay, the design process centered on clarity, accessibility, and cultural narrative. The updated website needed to present a body of academic and creative work with the same vibrancy and respect it commands offline. Golden Launch Creative restructured the content architecture to guide visitors through publications, projects, and media coverage in a more intuitive way.
The refined typography, modular grid, and visual hierarchy create an editorial feel that honors Dr. Blay’s scholarship while making the experience more discoverable and engaging. The new design not only elevated the aesthetic but also improved site performance, accessibility, and user flow across devices.
Key Outcomes:
Achieved 80% traffic growth post-launch.
Recorded 4.9K pageviews and 1.9K unique visitors within the first seven months.
Improved navigation clarity, reducing bounce rate and increasing content engagement.
Strengthened accessibility and mobile responsiveness across the full site experience.