Today, technology has provided people with the tools to create almost anything when given the right dose of inspiration. The shift in power from large eCommerce companies to independent artisans has helped people unlock their innovative spirit and fuel the creative economy.
Online publishing platform Blurb empowers independent authors and book-makers to create beautiful, bookstore-quality books with easy-to-use tools for every skill level. A brand that transcends physical boundaries of traditional books, Blurb is the world’s first platform for creating and publishing independent books, and it is poised to disrupt the self-publishing industry with an enhanced user experience.
For Blurb, activating inspiration within its audience manifests in its “Blurb Stories” platform. Blurb enlisted the help of Propane to redesign this popular blog to increase engagement and relevance to book-makers.
Part of this challenge was to appeal to dissimilar audiences with varying aspirations and behaviors. With a streamlined user experience, the blog’s navigation focuses on users’ individual goals and appeals to where they are in the book-making process—Inspire, Create, Publish, and Promote—mirroring the steps to creating and publishing a book. Rich photography and parallax scrolling entice users and connect on an emotional level. This property exists as a model of intrinsic value creation and engagement, and it brings to life the stories of the community.
“A bridge from the brand to the creative community,” explains Gordon McNee, Creative Director at Propane, “Blurb Stories is more than a blog; it’s a community rallying tool.”
As users scroll, the visually rich destination reveals and hides content to draw them into the narrative. With evocative imagery and unique transitions to text, it not only entices users to read, but it encourages them to write and publish, too. The ample collection of categorized posts and full-bleed photography was designed to evoke an editorial feel.
This is just the first piece of the overall Blurb digital ecosystem to be refreshed. Although Blurb Stories only launched recently, it has already increased page views and time spent exploring on the website, driving brand affinity and authentic connections between brand and audience.