I had the opportunity to design the official website for the Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest, a newly established competition celebrating the life and legacy of the local Bansha poet Darby Ryan. The site was created to honour his contribution to Irish cultural history while offering a clean, accessible platform for contemporary poets around the world to engage with the contest. I worked closely with the organisers, who provided the text and imagery, to ensure the site reflected their vision and the spirit of the competition.
Heritage-Rooted Design
The site’s aesthetic takes inspiration from antique manuscripts, hand-bound journals, and the natural textures of old paper. The aim was to make visitors feel as though they were stepping into a quiet, considered literary space.
The colour palette is soft, warm, and tactile—evoking aged paper and sun-faded books to reinforce the heritage tone. To break up the page flow, I used paper-like cutout dividers between sections. These irregular, organic shapes give the site a handcrafted quality, subtly referencing torn notebook pages or hand-cut broadsheets. They add visual texture without clutter, giving each section its own space.
Logo & Typography
I designed a logo that takes inspiration from Darby Ryan’s best-known poem, The Peeler and the Goat, with horn-like curves subtly extending from the initials ‘D’ and ‘R’—a quiet reference to the goat in the title.
Typography played a key role in setting the tone for the site. Number 5 is used for headings—its vintage style and ornamental details lend a sense of tradition and formality.
For the body text, I used Proza Libre, a modern sans-serif typeface that’s highly legible and friendly across devices. This pairing of fonts strikes a balance between elegance and accessibility which is well-suited to a poetry contest that bridges heritage and global participation.
A User-Centred Approach
The contest is open to entrants worldwide, so the submission process needed to be as clear and approachable as possible. Key details—entry instructions, themes, deadlines, and contact information—are presented in a clean, accessible layout, with no unnecessary clicks or barriers.
Each section is skimmable and mobile-friendly, ensuring readability across all screen sizes. Submission instructions are easy to locate, and supporting content about Darby Ryan’s life provides valuable historical context for the competition.
The Result
Designing the Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest website was an opportunity to celebrate a poet’s legacy in a way that feels both respectful and modern. The result is a clean, inviting digital space that encourages poets from around the world to participate.
Since launch, the site has received positive feedback from organisers and visitors alike for its clarity, visual identity, and tone.
