Website design — Wordpress BuildNorthwood Church
Project Goal
Teaming up with Honest Media, I designed and built a dynamic new website for Northwood Church, crafted to serve two key audiences: newcomers exploring the church for the first time and existing members seeking connection, resources, and updates. Our goal was to create an online experience that felt both welcoming and inspiring — an authentic extension of the Northwood brand and community.
My initial designs laid the foundation for the overall visual direction, which was then elevated through collaboration with Honest designer, David Nanda. Together, we pushed the creative boundaries to deliver custom interactive features and moments of delight that would spark genuine “wow” reactions from our client.
The design progression.
The Approach
Visual Direction
From the start, I focused on combining approachability and innovation. We added unexpected textures, motion, and layering to give the site depth and warmth. We wanted the design to feel alive, inviting exploration while staying intuitive and user-friendly.
Key design highlights included:
Dynamic heroes with layered video and scroll-triggered animation.
Custom iconography and UI elements inspired by their logo system.
Interactive “Next Steps” pathways guide users to get involved, from small groups to volunteer opportunities.
Seamless mobile experience to perform flawlessly across devices.
Development & Custom Features
Built on WordPress, the site goes far beyond a typical template-based build. The custom-coded features created an engaging user experience for the younger audience they serve, while still being accessible for their older .
Special features include:
A dynamic event calendar with filtering by ministry.
Interactive staff directory with hover-based bios and contact integrations.
Custom sermon library with searchable audio/video content.
Ministry-specific landing pages with specific calls to action.
Custom-built animations and transitions to keep the experience fluid and engaging.
These components were engineered to be fully manageable within WordPress, ensuring the Northwood team could easily update and expand their content without developer intervention.
