Ariel Kiley - branding and web design case study
Ariel Kiley is a Transformational Life Coach, emphasizing personal growth, inner transformation, and emotional resilience. She works with individuals feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or disconnected from their authentic selves. She aims to help them unlock their potential and live “bigger, bolder, truer” lives.
As a certified Yoga Therapist and Somatic Experiencing® (SE) trauma resolution Practitioner, she believes finding freedom through your body is a practice. She created Embodied with Ariel, a subscription-based mindful movement program designed for those who want to stay connected to their inner life, while building the strength, balance, and body-intelligence to stay active.
Ariel is a successful content creator who has created and led courses in money management, content writing, and wellness entrepreneurship in addition to coaching countless individuals on living their purpose. Throughout the years she has built a significant following and client base.
She realized though that in order to grow further, she needs more polished and intentional brand that will help her:
- position herself as a thought leader in transformational coaching.
- expand her audience and create a movement through her content (newsletter, podcast).
- grow a successful coaching business.
Project goals
The "before"
Ariel built her own website using a WordPress theme. Her business was growing steadily, mainly through word of mouth.
At some point, however, she realized that to expand her reach, she needed a more professional and polished online presence.
“After years of DIY-ing my website, I was tired of it looking unprofessional. I had a new vision for my website. I didn’t just want it to be a simple place to get information about my work. I wanted it to be a dynamic experience conveying the meaning and power of transformation (my favorite topic). I also wanted it to convey my own expertise and professionalism (which has been hard-earned!).”
The "after"
Ariel Kiley: branding and WordPress website design
Colors & gradients
To evoke a sense of grounding, stability, and Ariel’s connection to nature, I chose deep greens & earthy neutrals. I added gold accents to symbolize wisdom, and to create a premium feel. Dark Backgrounds with Light Text – Create a dramatic yet elegant contrast, reinforcing depth and introspection.
The palette makes the brand feel luxurious, sophisticated, and deeply personal, appealing to an audience seeking transformation and elevated brand experience.
On top of that I used different combinations of gradients to emphasize Ariel’s focus on transformation and create more depth.
The gold gradient below was used for headings fonts to achieve luxurious look & feel.
Light flare effect/northern lights background symbolize transformation and enlightenment.
Fonts
I used Helma font for headings that suggest wisdom, credibility, and a timeless, elegant feel. It also works beautifully as a decorative font.
For body font and subheadings I used Monserrat – very readable and approachable yet modern and elegant.
The font choices balance authority with approachability, making Ariel’s brand feel both inspiring and down-to-earth.
Logos & brand mark
The logo is simple yet elegant, reinforcing Ariel’s luxury, transformational coaching positioning.
The brand mark can be used as a decorative element in promotional brochures, teaching materials, and social media posts. It’s also being used as a favicon.Primary logo
Brandmark
Imagery
My goal was to create a safe, welcoming, and inspiring space where visitors feel encouraged to trust Ariel with their transformation and inspired by her own journey. Ariel moved to the desert to live in a tiny camper when she needed a break and that experience became the start of her own transformation.
Together with Ariel, we decided to go for a mix of professionally taken photos of her with pictures she had taken herself documenting beauty of nature. It blends professionalism with authenticity.
Professionally taken photos of Ariel establish credibility and trust, while her own nature photos add a personal, relatable touch. This mix makes her brand feel both polished and intimate, allowing visitors to see both her expertise and the real, everyday moments that inspire her. It reinforces the idea that transformation isn’t just about polished perfection—it’s also about the raw, beautiful journey of personal growth.
Ariel Kiley’s website & branding is reassuring, grounded, and empowering, with a blend of luxury and authenticity that builds trust with potential clients.
Consistent use of earth tones, gold, elegant serif font and high-quality imagery creates a polished, cohesive brand identity.
The completed website was built on WordPress combined with Elementor Pro plugin and is made up of the following elements:
- 1. Core pages: Homepage, about page, contact page
- 2. Sales pages
- 3. Lead magnet pop up and Opt in page
- 4. Podcast page with episode pages
- 5. Google Analytics and Google Search Console integration
- 6. Elements required by law: Privacy Policy and Cookie Banner
Website
Results
“Gosia is the most incredible designer because she gets it. She understands that a website needs more than information, it needs to evoke a feeling, to draw people in. Also, her design prowess is matched by her technical skill so I trust that the ‘back end’ of my website is solid.
Since Gosia revolutionized my online presence, I have gotten stronger leads, better clients, and also gotten lots of comments about how much people loved spending time on my website. But most importantly, I feel excited and proud to send people there.”
– Ariel Kiley
Let’s create a website you’ll be proud of!
“I’m getting amazing responses. It’s a triumph!”
Ariel Kiley
