Island Hopper

Songwriter Fest.

A microsite with a voice

The Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is not a typical music festival. Instead of massive stages and loud crowds, the event focuses on songwriters performing in small, intimate venues across Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, and downtown Fort Myers. The experience is less about spectacle and more about the craft behind the music.

The website needed to communicate that difference immediately. This wasn’t about headliners or production value. It was about artists who write and perform their own songs, and the experience needed to feel just as personal and intentional.

I approached the design as a tribute to the era when music lived on vinyl. Inspired by album art from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the visual direction leaned into bold typography, vibrant color palettes, and textured layouts. That concept became the foundation of the experience, reinforcing the maker spirit behind the festival rather than just decorating it.

To keep things from becoming chaotic, the structure stayed focused on three core areas: Artists, Schedules, and Venues. Custom modules gave each section its own identity while keeping the experience easy to navigate, even as content scaled.

The artists section is where the design and strategy come together most clearly. It gives performers space to stand out while supporting the more personal, story-driven nature of the event. At the same time, the system avoids the overly templated feel of most festival sites, keeping the experience expressive without losing clarity.

The final microsite captured the tone of the festival while staying structured and usable. It reflects the creative energy of the event without overcomplicating it, and even smaller details, like the custom 404 page, carry that personality through.