WEBSITE DESIGN & BUILD
Sarah Holding
Book Author and Poet
Sarah Holding is a children's and YA author, poet, and cli-fi pioneer. Her books, including the Seabean trilogy and Chameleon, are used in school curricula across the UK and beyond as writing units, guided reading texts, and recommended reading. A TEDx speaker, Guardian contributor, and BBC Radio guest, she has delivered creative writing workshops at over 250 schools, book festivals, and libraries. Through her Made Up programme, she brings six distinct workshop formats to schools: structured, curriculum-relevant, and designed to turn even the most reluctant writers into enthusiasts.
ON EMBODYING YOUR BRAND:
"I felt like I was receiving a series of transmissions rather than going on a little course. It was not what I expected! It was very calm and your voice was very encouraging. The pace was very enjoyable and the videos were not too long. I found the meditations really powerful- that was when I felt my 3rd eye opened and the key insights were delivered. It felt quite magical. I realised some things were so deeply embodied that I hadn’t acknowledged them to myself, so bringing those to conscious awareness as I go into my design brief has been wonderful. Especially as I don’t have to only engage my left brain in my decision making. Clarity is the key word here and everything has become really simple."
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Sarah came with a clear body of work and a well-established reputation, and a DIY website that no longer matched either. The site was difficult to update, hard to manage, and visually misaligned with the quality and range of what she offers. The brief was to build something that could hold the full scope of her work: books, a structured school workshop programme, a shop, a blog, author coaching, and school-facing resources, all presented with the warmth, energy, and credibility her audience expects.
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A Squarespace build designed to work as a professional booking and discovery platform for schools, teachers, and young readers. The architecture separates the six Made Up workshop formats clearly, making it straightforward for teachers to identify the right programme and get in touch. The shop, author coaching offer, and resources sit alongside without competing. The visual language was developed in close creative collaboration with Sarah, with photography by Cara Mia Petersen shot specifically for the brand. The result reflects the quality of the work from the first page.