Revamping Devlog.ist's Landing Page with Retro Brutalist Design

Introduction

We've given the Devlog.ist landing page a fresh coat of paint, embracing a retro brutalist aesthetic. This update focuses on improving the user experience through visual design and unified messaging across languages.

Design Overhaul

The redesign touches several key areas:

• Welcome Page: Incorporating thick borders, hard offset shadows, and geometric grid backgrounds for a bold visual statement.
• Vlog Index & Show Pages: Extending the brutalist style to maintain a consistent user experience throughout the site.
• Typography: Adopting IBM Plex Mono for its monospace qualities, ensuring proper alignment of arrow glyphs and a distinct retro feel.

Key Improvements

1. Unified Messaging: Standardized hero description text across all languages to ensure clarity and consistency.

2. Visual Consistency: Applied a unified brutalist design language across key landing pages.

Code Snippet

Example of updated welcome message:

return [
    'meta' => [
        'title' => 'Devlog.ist — Automatisiertes CMS für Entwickler und Organisationen',
        'description' => 'GitHub verbinden → Veröffentlichungsfertigen Content erhalten.',
        'og_description' => 'GitHub verbinden → Veröffentlichungsfertigen Content erhalten.',
        'twitter_title' => 'Devlog.ist — Automatisiertes CMS für Entwickler',
        'twitter_description' => 'Automatisiertes CMS für Entwickler und Organisationen. Veröffentliche deine technischen Fortschritte kontinuierlich und automatisch.',
    ],
    'welcome' => 'Willkommen',
    'hero' => [
        'title_line1' => 'Weiter programmieren',
        'title_line2' => 'Wir bauen dein Portfolio',
        'description' => 'GitHub verbinden → Veröffentlichungsfertigen Content erhalten.',
        'start_free' => 'Kostenlos starten',
        'view_on_github' => 'Auf GitHub ansehen',
        'view_demo' => 'Demo ansehen',
    ],
];

Results

The new design aims to present a more engaging and visually distinct experience for visitors, emphasizing a clear value proposition.

Lessons Learned

This update highlighted the importance of considering visual design as an integral part of the user experience. Consistent branding and clear messaging are crucial for effective communication.