# Behind the Build: Creating the Willow Hart Books Website

If you’ve ever tried to explain a creative business in one sentence, you’ll know how tricky it can be. Willow Hart Books is a perfect example,  part children’s publishing house, part colouring book brand, part pony-powered storytelling adventure.

We’ve loved bringing this one to life.

In this behind-the-scenes blog, we’re sharing how we approached the [**Willow Hart Books**](https://willowhartbooks.com/) website build, including what we focused on, the challenges, and the small design decisions that made a big difference. Whether you’re an author, an illustrator, or a fellow small business owner, we hope it sparks a few ideas for your own online space.

![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/75Wc8GjPGQ2nI9PUtgJnsFn3Zw.jpeg align="center")

### **About the Brand**

Willow Hart is more than just a pen name; it’s a growing creative brand that publishes:

*   Jay’s Pony Tales — a magical illustrated storybook and workbook series
    
*   Willow Hart Colouring Books — bold, joyful colouring books for kids aged 3–8
    
*   And a full collection of books available to purchase on Amazon, Lulu, TikTok Shop, and now their own official website
    

The challenge? Designing a website that could support:

*   Multiple product types
    
*   Multiple buying journeys (website checkout, TikTok, Amazon, Lulu)
    
*   And two very different book audiences (storybooks vs activity books)
    
    ![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/JiLjlIdqSxFdScXBepeFADeSag.jpg align="center")
    

### **The User Journey**

Before we started the design, we worked through the user pathways:

*   Parents and grandparents browsing for gifts
    
*   Teachers and educators are looking for classroom resources.
    
*   TikTok or Amazon customers looking for more info about the brand
    
*   Fans of Jay the pony want to know more about his story.
    

This helped shape the homepage structure, making sure it wasn’t just ‘pretty’ but it worked hard too.

### **Design Choices That Matter**

We kept the brand identity soft and playful, using pastel tones, rounded buttons, and clear, age-appropriate fonts.

Some of the custom touches:

*   A hero section that introduces Jay’s Pony Tales and Willow Hart’s signature style
    
*   A split product layout that separates storybooks and colouring books
    
*   Clickable icons for TikTok, Amazon, and Lulu, making it easy to shop where they prefer.
    

![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/GO1sYOjztwbitIRLONvcgSYgQ.jpg align="center")

### **Takeaways for Other Creatives**

If you’re a small brand selling books or creative products, here are a few lessons from this build:

*   Narrow your homepage focus. You don’t need to say everything on the first scroll. Help people find the right book or product quickly.
    
*   Embrace external links. Not every sale has to happen on your site. Linking out to Amazon or TikTok can still serve your brand if the experience is seamless.
    
*   Design for discovery. Don’t hide your bestsellers behind menus; make your work visible, easy to browse, and fun to explore.
    

### **Final Thoughts**

This build was a joy from start to finish, and Jay the Shetland pony might be one of our favourite clients. Take a look at this wonderful world [**willowhartbooks.com**](http://willowhartbooks.com)

Need help building your own product-led website? Whether you’re a creator, a writer, or a brand on the rise, we’d love to help bring your vision to life.

Get in touch here [**sandfoldstudio.com**](http://sandfoldstudio.com)

Thanks for reading,

Kie & Jules

Sandfold Studio