WellnStrong
From Vision to Vitality: Designing a Digital Home for Holistic Wellness
Wellnstrong – Holistic Health Platform & Brand Identity
Lead UX/UI Designer & WordPress Developer
Tools: Adobe XD, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, WordPress
VISION AND CHALLENGE
In 2022, I set out to create WellnStrong, a trusted online destination for evidence-based health and wellness content. The vision was to bring together articles, curated product recommendations, and expert-led conversations into a single, cohesive platform that could grow into a recognized name in the wellness space.
At the start, WellnStrong didn’t exist — no brand, no site, no content structure. Everything would need to be imagined, designed, and built from scratch.
The goals were clear:
Build a complete brand identity to stand out in a crowded wellness market.
Define a content strategy for articles, podcasts, and product recommendations.
Design and develop a custom WordPress platform that could scale over time.
Ensure ease of use, so the site could grow independently without constant developer support.
MY ROLE
I led the project from concept to launch, including:
Branding & Identity (logo, typography, color palette)
Content Strategy (categories, IA, tone)
UX & UI Design (wireframes, mockups, responsive design)
Custom WordPress Development (theme build, backend tools, CMS setup)
Technical Setup (hosting, domain, security, performance optimization)
Training & Handoff (empowering WellnStrong to manage content independently)
Process
Research & Content Strategy
I started with competitor research to understand how leading wellness brands presented their content. Many had strong visuals but struggled with navigation and content discoverability.
From these insights, I defined a minimum viable product (MVP) that focused on the most impactful features: wellness articles, a podcast hub, and a curated product directory.
Brand Creation
Logo Design Elements:
Typography: Flowing, handwritten-style script font conveying personal authenticity
Color Palette: Sage green/olive green reflecting the natural theme.
Iconic Element: Circular badge featuring olive leaves and branches.
Symbolic Foundation: Built around the olive tree's millenary connection to health and wellness through olive oil.
Design Strategy:
The logo strategically leverages olive leaves as a symbol of time-tested health wisdom. Olive oil's well-established benefits — anti-inflammatory properties, heart health, and longevity — create an immediate connection to natural wellness. This positions the brand as both scientifically grounded and traditionally rooted.
Brand Positioning:
By combining olive symbolism with handwritten typography, the identity communicates trustworthy, personal health guidance rooted in ancient wisdom while remaining modern and approachable.
Target Audience:
Health-conscious individuals seeking natural, holistic approaches who value the connection between traditional healthy foods and modern integrative practices.
This identity established a memorable and flexible system that could adapt seamlessly across digital, print, and social channels.
Information Architecture
With no legacy constraints, I designed the structure to be simple, intuitive, and aligned with the content strategy.
Homepage Highlights
Hero introducing the platform’s mission
Articles & Guides on nutrition, detox, mental health, and fitness
Featured Podcast Episodes with embedded players and streaming links
Brands I Love preview grid highlighting curated products and discounts
Newsletter signup and free resource downloads
About section & social links to build community
Contributor spotlights to highlight expert voices
Navigation & Taxonomies
Logical categories for articles, podcasts, products, and contributors
Search and filtering tools for faster discovery
Clear calls to action across every page
The result: new visitors immediately understand what WellnStrong offers, while returning users can quickly find the content they value most.
Custom WordPress Development
To reduce manual effort and ensure scalability, I built three custom backend tools:
Brands I Love Directory
Goal – Create a dedicated space for curated wellness product recommendations.
Solution – Backend module for adding product details, images, affiliate links, and categories. The system generates a filterable directory and individual product pages with in-depth info and CTAs.
Impact – Streamlined what was once a manual process and grew into one of the most visited features.
Podcast Hub
Goal – Centralize all How to Be WellnStrong podcast episodes.
Solution – Developed a searchable archive with filtering by topic or guest, plus episode pages with embedded players, show notes, and links to streaming platforms.
Impact – Increased discoverability, engagement, and listening time.
Contributors Directory
Goal – Showcase expert voices in wellness and integrative health.
Solution – Designed a contributors section with profile photos, bios, and lists of authored content, plus dedicated author pages.
Impact – Added credibility and content diversity while making contributors more visible.
Training & Launch
Once the build was complete, I handled hosting, security, and performance optimization.
I also provided training on content publishing, managing the product directory, and applying SEO best practices — ensuring WellnStrong could grow without ongoing developer support.
Outcome
The launch of WellnStrong.com established a professional, credible platform that quickly became the foundation of its brand growth:
Content expansion – Hosting a large library of articles, over 90 podcast episodes, and a curated product directory.
Audience growth – Instagram followers grew to 128,000+, with significant expansion on Pinterest driven by shareable guides and recommendations.
Operational efficiency – Custom backend tools reduced publishing time by ~50%.
Brand credibility – WellnStrong is now recognized as a trusted voice in evidence-based, holistic wellness.
Key Takeaways
Building from scratch allowed me to create a user-first structure without legacy compromises.
Emotional tone and design are as important as functionality in building trust and authority in wellness.
Early investment in scalable backend tools ensures efficiency and long-term growth.
I can’t recommend Manolo enough! He is truly amazing to work with—professional, attentive to every detail, and incredibly talented at bringing ideas to life. His ability to create beautiful, functional, and user-friendly websites is unmatched. Manolo took the time to really understand my vision, and the end result exceeded all my expectations. If you’re looking for someone who combines creativity with precision, Manolo is the one!
Jacqueline Genova
Founder and Principal of WellnStrong