Overview
As Unexpected is a podcast affiliated with Semester at Sea, where C-suite executives and visionary entrepreneurs discuss how they navigate leadership in an unpredictable world. As a freelance designer, I built the brand from the ground up, designing and developing a seamless digital experience in Framer. Within one month of launch, the podcast attracted thousands of subscribers and secured its place on major podcast platforms.
Overview
As Unexpected is a podcast affiliated with Semester at Sea, where C-suite executives and visionary entrepreneurs discuss how they navigate leadership in an unpredictable world. As a freelance designer, I built the brand from the ground up, designing and developing a seamless digital experience in Framer. Within one month of launch, the podcast attracted thousands of subscribers and secured its place on major podcast platforms.
Overview
As Unexpected is a podcast affiliated with Semester at Sea, where C-suite executives and visionary entrepreneurs discuss how they navigate leadership in an unpredictable world. As a freelance designer, I built the brand from the ground up, designing and developing a seamless digital experience in Framer. Within one month of launch, the podcast attracted thousands of subscribers and secured its place on major podcast platforms.
Overview
As Unexpected is a podcast affiliated with Semester at Sea, where C-suite executives and visionary entrepreneurs discuss how they navigate leadership in an unpredictable world. As a freelance designer, I built the brand from the ground up, designing and developing a seamless digital experience in Framer. Within one month of launch, the podcast attracted thousands of subscribers and secured its place on major podcast platforms.
The Problem
Scott Marshall, CEO of Semester at Sea, approached me with a big vision but no digital presence to support it. He wanted to create a podcast platform that resonated with C-suite executives and entrepreneurs, capturing the adventurous spirit of Semester at Sea while reflecting the achievements of its alumni. With just a logo and an idea, he needed a website that would stand out and engage his audience consistently.
The Problem
Scott Marshall, CEO of Semester at Sea, approached me with a big vision but no digital presence to support it. He wanted to create a podcast platform that resonated with C-suite executives and entrepreneurs, capturing the adventurous spirit of Semester at Sea while reflecting the achievements of its alumni. With just a logo and an idea, he needed a website that would stand out and engage his audience consistently.
The Problem
Scott Marshall, CEO of Semester at Sea, approached me with a big vision but no digital presence to support it. He wanted to create a podcast platform that resonated with C-suite executives and entrepreneurs, capturing the adventurous spirit of Semester at Sea while reflecting the achievements of its alumni. With just a logo and an idea, he needed a website that would stand out and engage his audience consistently.
The Problem
Scott Marshall, CEO of Semester at Sea, approached me with a big vision but no digital presence to support it. He wanted to create a podcast platform that resonated with C-suite executives and entrepreneurs, capturing the adventurous spirit of Semester at Sea while reflecting the achievements of its alumni. With just a logo and an idea, he needed a website that would stand out and engage his audience consistently.
Defining Our Goals
Defining Our Goals
Defining Our Goals
Defining Our Goals
Establish Strong Online Presence
Create a website that embodies the impact of the As Unexpected podcast, showcasing interviews with industry leaders and their unique journeys.
Establish Strong Online Presence
Create a website that embodies the impact of the As Unexpected podcast, showcasing interviews with industry leaders and their unique journeys.
Establish Strong Online Presence
Create a website that embodies the impact of the As Unexpected podcast, showcasing interviews with industry leaders and their unique journeys.
Establish Strong Online Presence
Create a website that embodies the impact of the As Unexpected podcast, showcasing interviews with industry leaders and their unique journeys.
Create Easy to Use CMS
Implement two user-friendly CMS systems—one for managing podcast episodes and another for curating engaging newsletter content.
Create Easy to Use CMS
Implement two user-friendly CMS systems—one for managing podcast episodes and another for curating engaging newsletter content.
Create Easy to Use CMS
Implement two user-friendly CMS systems—one for managing podcast episodes and another for curating engaging newsletter content.
Create Easy to Use CMS
Implement two user-friendly CMS systems—one for managing podcast episodes and another for curating engaging newsletter content.
Optimize for Discovery
Incorporate SEO strategies to enhance the podcast's online visibility, helping more people discover insightful, powerful leadership stories.
Optimize for Discovery
Incorporate SEO strategies to enhance the podcast's online visibility, helping more people discover insightful, powerful leadership stories.
Optimize for Discovery
Incorporate SEO strategies to enhance the podcast's online visibility, helping more people discover insightful, powerful leadership stories.
Optimize for Discovery
Incorporate SEO strategies to enhance the podcast's online visibility, helping more people discover insightful, powerful leadership stories.
Research & Discovery
Research & Discovery
Research & Discovery
Research & Discovery
Building the Brand
With no established brand, I led a brand voice workshop to define As Unexpected’s personality, tone, and audience. Together, we crafted a brand rooted in authenticity, fun, and wisdom—aimed at engaging mid-level and C-suite managers. Our mission was clear: inspire leaders to embrace life’s unexpected challenges with courage and curiosity.
Building the Brand
With no established brand, I led a brand voice workshop to define As Unexpected’s personality, tone, and audience. Together, we crafted a brand rooted in authenticity, fun, and wisdom—aimed at engaging mid-level and C-suite managers. Our mission was clear: inspire leaders to embrace life’s unexpected challenges with courage and curiosity.
Building the Brand
With no established brand, I led a brand voice workshop to define As Unexpected’s personality, tone, and audience. Together, we crafted a brand rooted in authenticity, fun, and wisdom—aimed at engaging mid-level and C-suite managers. Our mission was clear: inspire leaders to embrace life’s unexpected challenges with courage and curiosity.
Building the Brand
With no established brand, I led a brand voice workshop to define As Unexpected’s personality, tone, and audience. Together, we crafted a brand rooted in authenticity, fun, and wisdom—aimed at engaging mid-level and C-suite managers. Our mission was clear: inspire leaders to embrace life’s unexpected challenges with courage and curiosity.
Web Presence Workshop
During this phase, I presented moodboards exploring different visual directions. Scott gravitated toward the Friendly and Mainstream style, with softer tones and clean layouts that made the brand feel approachable and engaging. To set AsUnexpected apart from competitors, I recommended a modern, dark-mode aesthetic that balanced authenticity with professionalism.
Web Presence Workshop
During this phase, I presented moodboards exploring different visual directions. Scott gravitated toward the Friendly and Mainstream style, with softer tones and clean layouts that made the brand feel approachable and engaging. To set AsUnexpected apart from competitors, I recommended a modern, dark-mode aesthetic that balanced authenticity with professionalism.
Web Presence Workshop
During this phase, I presented moodboards exploring different visual directions. Scott gravitated toward the Friendly and Mainstream style, with softer tones and clean layouts that made the brand feel approachable and engaging. To set AsUnexpected apart from competitors, I recommended a modern, dark-mode aesthetic that balanced authenticity with professionalism.
Web Presence Workshop
During this phase, I presented moodboards exploring different visual directions. Scott gravitated toward the Friendly and Mainstream style, with softer tones and clean layouts that made the brand feel approachable and engaging. To set AsUnexpected apart from competitors, I recommended a modern, dark-mode aesthetic that balanced authenticity with professionalism.
Ideation & Sketching
The insights from our workshop made the vignette phase seamless. I presented three distinct design directions:
Ideation & Sketching
The insights from our workshop made the vignette phase seamless. I presented three distinct design directions:
Ideation & Sketching
The insights from our workshop made the vignette phase seamless. I presented three distinct design directions:
Ideation & Sketching
The insights from our workshop made the vignette phase seamless. I presented three distinct design directions:
Vignette 1
Bold, minimalist, & approachable, with a sleek dark mode design using navy blues & corals to balance professionalism & friendliness.
Vignette 1
Bold, minimalist, & approachable, with a sleek dark mode design using navy blues & corals to balance professionalism & friendliness.
Vignette 1
Bold, minimalist, & approachable, with a sleek dark mode design using navy blues & corals to balance professionalism & friendliness.
Vignette 1
Bold, minimalist, & approachable, with a sleek dark mode design using navy blues & corals to balance professionalism & friendliness.
Vignette 2
Approachable and friendly, featuring a lighter color palette and wave-like elements to reflect Semester at Sea’s adventurous ethos.
Vignette 2
Approachable and friendly, featuring a lighter color palette and wave-like elements to reflect Semester at Sea’s adventurous ethos.
Vignette 2
Approachable and friendly, featuring a lighter color palette and wave-like elements to reflect Semester at Sea’s adventurous ethos.
Vignette 2
Approachable and friendly, featuring a lighter color palette and wave-like elements to reflect Semester at Sea’s adventurous ethos.
Vignette 3
A more classical, business-oriented design, with neutral tones and structured layouts for a professional, executive feel.
Vignette 3
A more classical, business-oriented design, with neutral tones and structured layouts for a professional, executive feel.
Vignette 3
A more classical, business-oriented design, with neutral tones and structured layouts for a professional, executive feel.
Vignette 3
A more classical, business-oriented design, with neutral tones and structured layouts for a professional, executive feel.
Scott ultimately chose Vignette 1 for its resonance with the brand’s identity and modern, approachable aesthetic.
The Build: Seamless Structure & Dynamic Design
The Build: Seamless Structure & Dynamic Design
The Build: Seamless Structure & Dynamic Design
The Build: Seamless Structure & Dynamic Design
Building the CMS
I was eager to fully leverage Framer’s capabilities for this project, prioritizing ease of management for Scott and his team. Given Scott’s lack of CMS experience, I focused on creating a seamless content management system. I built two custom CMS collections—one for podcast episodes and one for newsletters—each with clearly defined fields like slug, heading, description, image, date, and guest name. This setup ensured that anyone, even without technical knowledge, could easily upload new content.
Building the CMS
I was eager to fully leverage Framer’s capabilities for this project, prioritizing ease of management for Scott and his team. Given Scott’s lack of CMS experience, I focused on creating a seamless content management system. I built two custom CMS collections—one for podcast episodes and one for newsletters—each with clearly defined fields like slug, heading, description, image, date, and guest name. This setup ensured that anyone, even without technical knowledge, could easily upload new content.
Building the CMS
I was eager to fully leverage Framer’s capabilities for this project, prioritizing ease of management for Scott and his team. Given Scott’s lack of CMS experience, I focused on creating a seamless content management system. I built two custom CMS collections—one for podcast episodes and one for newsletters—each with clearly defined fields like slug, heading, description, image, date, and guest name. This setup ensured that anyone, even without technical knowledge, could easily upload new content.
Building the CMS
I was eager to fully leverage Framer’s capabilities for this project, prioritizing ease of management for Scott and his team. Given Scott’s lack of CMS experience, I focused on creating a seamless content management system. I built two custom CMS collections—one for podcast episodes and one for newsletters—each with clearly defined fields like slug, heading, description, image, date, and guest name. This setup ensured that anyone, even without technical knowledge, could easily upload new content.
A Comprehensive Design System
To maintain design consistency, I developed a comprehensive design system in Framer. This included organized color styles, typography, and reusable components for key elements like buttons, podcast cards, and navigation. Attaching everything to the design system made future updates efficient and consistent.
For the site build, I added microanimations to buttons and transitions to create a modern, dynamic feel. Throughout the process, I ensured the handoff would be smooth by providing thorough documentation and an intuitive CMS, allowing Scott’s team to manage the site with ease as the podcast grew.
A Comprehensive Design System
To maintain design consistency, I developed a comprehensive design system in Framer. This included organized color styles, typography, and reusable components for key elements like buttons, podcast cards, and navigation. Attaching everything to the design system made future updates efficient and consistent.
For the site build, I added microanimations to buttons and transitions to create a modern, dynamic feel. Throughout the process, I ensured the handoff would be smooth by providing thorough documentation and an intuitive CMS, allowing Scott’s team to manage the site with ease as the podcast grew.
A Comprehensive Design System
To maintain design consistency, I developed a comprehensive design system in Framer. This included organized color styles, typography, and reusable components for key elements like buttons, podcast cards, and navigation. Attaching everything to the design system made future updates efficient and consistent.
For the site build, I added microanimations to buttons and transitions to create a modern, dynamic feel. Throughout the process, I ensured the handoff would be smooth by providing thorough documentation and an intuitive CMS, allowing Scott’s team to manage the site with ease as the podcast grew.
A Comprehensive Design System
To maintain design consistency, I developed a comprehensive design system in Framer. This included organized color styles, typography, and reusable components for key elements like buttons, podcast cards, and navigation. Attaching everything to the design system made future updates efficient and consistent.
For the site build, I added microanimations to buttons and transitions to create a modern, dynamic feel. Throughout the process, I ensured the handoff would be smooth by providing thorough documentation and an intuitive CMS, allowing Scott’s team to manage the site with ease as the podcast grew.
SEO Optimization
Using Framer’s built-in SEO tools, I optimized the site for search engines. This included creating semantic HTML structure, adding meta tags, optimizing page titles and descriptions, and compressing images to improve load times. These efforts ensured the site was not only visually compelling but also discoverable and fast, helping As Unexpected reach a wider audience.
SEO Optimization
Using Framer’s built-in SEO tools, I optimized the site for search engines. This included creating semantic HTML structure, adding meta tags, optimizing page titles and descriptions, and compressing images to improve load times. These efforts ensured the site was not only visually compelling but also discoverable and fast, helping As Unexpected reach a wider audience.
SEO Optimization
Using Framer’s built-in SEO tools, I optimized the site for search engines. This included creating semantic HTML structure, adding meta tags, optimizing page titles and descriptions, and compressing images to improve load times. These efforts ensured the site was not only visually compelling but also discoverable and fast, helping As Unexpected reach a wider audience.
SEO Optimization
Using Framer’s built-in SEO tools, I optimized the site for search engines. This included creating semantic HTML structure, adding meta tags, optimizing page titles and descriptions, and compressing images to improve load times. These efforts ensured the site was not only visually compelling but also discoverable and fast, helping As Unexpected reach a wider audience.
Launching into the Spotlight
After Scott approved the build, we coordinated a strategic launch on a Friday morning to coincide with the first podcast episode. With marketing support from the Semester at Sea team, the launch was a huge success, immediately boosting As Unexpected’s visibility. Scott was thrilled with the results, as the podcast quickly gained traction, exceeded expectations, and attracted a growing audience. The well-designed website and strong marketing push positioned As Unexpected as a standout in the leadership podcast space.
Launching into the Spotlight
After Scott approved the build, we coordinated a strategic launch on a Friday morning to coincide with the first podcast episode. With marketing support from the Semester at Sea team, the launch was a huge success, immediately boosting As Unexpected’s visibility. Scott was thrilled with the results, as the podcast quickly gained traction, exceeded expectations, and attracted a growing audience. The well-designed website and strong marketing push positioned As Unexpected as a standout in the leadership podcast space.
Launching into the Spotlight
After Scott approved the build, we coordinated a strategic launch on a Friday morning to coincide with the first podcast episode. With marketing support from the Semester at Sea team, the launch was a huge success, immediately boosting As Unexpected’s visibility. Scott was thrilled with the results, as the podcast quickly gained traction, exceeded expectations, and attracted a growing audience. The well-designed website and strong marketing push positioned As Unexpected as a standout in the leadership podcast space.
Launching into the Spotlight
After Scott approved the build, we coordinated a strategic launch on a Friday morning to coincide with the first podcast episode. With marketing support from the Semester at Sea team, the launch was a huge success, immediately boosting As Unexpected’s visibility. Scott was thrilled with the results, as the podcast quickly gained traction, exceeded expectations, and attracted a growing audience. The well-designed website and strong marketing push positioned As Unexpected as a standout in the leadership podcast space.
Scott Marshall
CEO @ Semester at Sea
"Lauren took the lead in developing the AS UNEXPECTED website. At every step, she was superbly professional. She kept me on track, provided short videos to watch to support the site development process, and utilized excellent technical and design skills."
Scott Marshall
CEO @ Semester at Sea
"Lauren took the lead in developing the AS UNEXPECTED website. At every step, she was superbly professional. She kept me on track, provided short videos to watch to support the site development process, and utilized excellent technical and design skills."
Scott Marshall
CEO @ Semester at Sea
"Lauren took the lead in developing the AS UNEXPECTED website. At every step, she was superbly professional. She kept me on track, provided short videos to watch to support the site development process, and utilized excellent technical and design skills."
Scott Marshall
CEO @ Semester at Sea
"Lauren took the lead in developing the AS UNEXPECTED website. At every step, she was superbly professional. She kept me on track, provided short videos to watch to support the site development process, and utilized excellent technical and design skills."
The Final Product
The Final Product
The Final Product
The Final Product
Homepage
Homepage
Homepage
Homepage
Podcast Detail
Podcast Detail
Podcast Detail
Podcast Detail
