David Beck, debut author of speculative fiction and creator of the Sharpener Saga, reached out to Sam Heuck Web Development when he felt it was time to show the world his art. We were thrilled to give his future readers a preview - a little peek into the world David brought into being.

After all, you can never judge a book by its cover, and it’s difficult to know if you are going to enjoy a book before you’ve read it. For me at least, I like to get a feel for the setting, the time period, the characters, and the story, before I really commit to reading something. Our challenge was to design a website that does exactly that - but to leave the visitors wanting more. To solve these challenges within the constraints of a web site, we chose to immerse the visitor in the world of the books while at the same time preserving the mystery.

Exploration

When we began the design process, our first goal was to explore the world David created. The Sharpener Saga begins in 1970 in the desert sands of New Mexico, expanding into an epic tale of paranormal powers, alternate worlds, and Earth’s first contact with alien life.

We started by reading the Sharpener books, looking for imagery and details that would translate to the visual medium of his website.

Blueprints

In a series of meetings, we explored details to extract the essence of the setting, the time period, and the characters, showcasing David’s passion and dedication for great storytelling. We made note of his influences and of other websites that he liked. We also didn’t want to stray too far from the traditional form for an author website. It needed to be practical, but also hook potential readers.

Before making any hard decisions about aesthetics, we drafted a basic layout structure and a site map. This blueprint grounded the project and provided a clear set of goals for the construction of each page.

Color

The world David crafted is vibrant, detailed, and specific. His vision hearkens back to the golden age of science fiction book covers: first-edition Asimov, Bradbury, Le Guin. The color palette was the key to unlocking the overall feel of the site. It was very important to us that our choices mirror the descriptions in the books, so a visitor could feel the world-building before reading a single word.

Content

With the overall structure, page map, fonts and colors drafted, our next challenge was to incorporate passages and artwork from the books. David commissioned a series of beautiful hand-drawn illustrations that we wanted to showcase. We wanted the focus to be on the writing, but pictures tie everything together in a way that pulls the visitor in, enticing them to read more.

Polish

I have worked on software for startups with two employees, and I have worked on software for billion-dollar companies with thousands of employees. And many in between. One thing they all had in common was the usual goal for software – systematize a routine, improve margins, make some money. Show the world our services.

Most projects I work on have an intrinsic demand for efficiency: clear and consistent presentation of data, doing the best we can to keep the technology out of the way of the user. After all, you probably don’t want to sit and wait for visually interesting animations to finish while you are trying to submit an expense report. (At least I don’t.)

But this project was different - it is refreshing to work on projects where the artistic vision is the business goal!

With the help of David’s artist, we were able to incorporate design elements serving as visual references to the world of the books. We wanted visitors to have a sense of discovery - wondering why that tornado thing in the footer spins… maybe I should read the book…

This was a really fun project to work on, and we hope you enjoy the site. More importantly, we hope you want to read The Sharpener!

"Their diligence, energy, attention to detail, and sense of humor kept the project on track to my complete satisfaction. Throughout, both worked closely with me on all phases of the project and implemented the best version of my vision – at a very reasonable price. I can give my highest recommendation in any capacity for Sam Heuck Web Development."

-- David Beck, Author, The Sharpener Saga