Chapter 5 The Creative Onboarding
Leo had a theory that you could tell everything you needed to know about a person by their chosen color palette.
His own was a chaotic, joyful explosion of sunset oranges, sea-foam greens, and the occasional, unapologetic splash of flamingo pink.
It was the color palette of someone whose life motto was, essentially, let’s see what happens.
The collective color palette of Vance he brought it to life.
He created a flowing, dynamic layout, using a bold color palette he felt truly captured the "spirit" of the Northwind brand.
He interpreted "CTA funnel" in the most artistic way possible, creating a beautiful, cascading visual element that guided the user's eye down the page towards the "Buy Now" button.
He worked with a feverish, focused energy, losing himself in the creative process. This was what he was good at. This was authentic. For the first time all day, he wasn't pretending. He was creating.
As five o'clock approached, he put the finishing touches on his masterpiece. He leaned back, a genuine smile spreading across his face. It wasn’t a wireframe.
It was better. It was vibrant, it was intuitive, and it was undeniably beautiful.
It was a bridge back to wonder, right here on a landing page for a company that sold high-end camping gear.
He had taken their sterile, jargon-filled brief and made something with a soul.
He couldn't wait to see the look on Julian’s face.
With a surge of misplaced pride, he attached the finished file to an email, wrote "First Pass on Northwind Landing Page" in the subject line, and sent it off to Julian Thorne.
He leaned back in his chair, the ergonomic design now feeling less judgmental and more like a gentle hug. He’d done it. He’d survived his first day. More than survived, he’d thrived.
Julian was going to be so impressed.