Building a New Digital Home for a Highland Poet

Summary Snippet: Designing a clean, editorial web platform and audio-integrated shop for Highland poet and children’s author Sam Steele.

Role: Web Design & Development

Context: E-commerce portfolio for an independent author.

The Challenge: Sam Steele writes heartfelt poetry for adults alongside whimsical, rhyming stories for children. Most author websites suffer from cluttered layouts and outdated navigation. Sam needed an official platform sophisticated enough for his poetry, warm enough for his children’s books, and built to handle audio previews and direct book sales.

The Approach: I built a minimalist layout with generous white space, giving room for Sarah-Leigh Wills’ colourful illustrations and Sam’s landscape photography to stand out. Because poetry is meant to be heard, I integrated an audio player directly into the book pages so visitors could listen to Sam reading his work before buying. Rather than a cramped thumbnail grid, the bookstore layout gives each title its own dedicated showcase with clear summaries and buy buttons.

The Result: The site strikes an authentic balance between a creative portfolio and a functional online shop. Launched ahead of Sam’s Edinburgh Fringe appearances, the platform serves as a reliable digital hub for media inquiries, direct sales, and fan engagement.

Key Takeaway: Author websites do not need to be noisy. Combining clean typography, spacious layout, and integrated audio creates a calm space where the work takes centre stage.

You can view the live site and explore Sam’s world at samsteelepoet.co.uk.