Ellen Renton

Expansive showcase for the myriad strands of the Edinburgh poet, performer and theatre maker’s output

Website
The homepage of Ellen Renton's website, which has a blue background with black text. Ellen's name sits in the top-left corner in a large, characterful, bold, italicised script font. Alongside is the site menu in a much smaller, bold geometric sans-serif. Below the page is split into two equal columns. The left column contains a photograph of Ellen, with her back to the camera, facing an overcast Loch Ness. Her jacket is blue and so is most of the scenery. The photo has a thick, white border. The right column contains the text 'Poet, Performer, Theatre-maker' in the same font as Ellen's name. A white line separates this from some further text below. At the very bottom of the page is a white, full-width banner, containing button controls to switch the theme from light to dark, and to increase or decrease the text size.
The 'Poetry' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a mobile screen. It has a rich yellow background and black text. In the top-right corner, sitting in front of the content, is a diamond shape with a black border containing the word Menu in a bold geometric sans-serif. Behind and below this is an image with a thick white border, which has an orangey-brown background and consists of an abstract yellow line-drawing of a human face alongside the text 'an eye for an eye for an eye—ellen renton' in a large bold sans-serif above the text 'stewed rhubarb press' in a much smaller font-size. Underneath the image is a quotation from 'The Fountain' that reads 'A superb collection where every poem and word are crucial'. Sitting below this in the centre of the page is a white diamond motif, and at the very bottom of the page, stretching the full width, is a white banner containing the text 'Colour and text controls' alongside an upwards-pointing arrow icon.

A peaceful place

Ellen sought a tranquil, calm and welcoming portfolio to exhibit the wide scope of her poetry, performance and collaborative work.

A key focus was a prominent spotlighting of custom accessibility functions, incorporating a dark/light theme and text-sizing controls alongside an aesthetic approach focused on the same priorities of inclusivity.

Visit Ellen's site
The 'Poetry' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a desktop screen. It has a rich yellow background and black text. Ellen's name sits in the top-left corner in a large, characterful, bold, italicised script font. Alongside is the site menu in a much smaller, bold geometric sans-serif. Below, adjacent to a white diamond motif, is the word 'Poetry' in a large, extra bold geometric sans-serif font. Below is a paragraph of text in a much smaller size which reads 'My writing style combines the influences of Scottish traditions and contemporary poetics, and I strive to create work that exists happily on both the page and the stage.' Below this the page is split into two columns, which are slightly vertically offset from each other. The left contains the top of an image with a thick white border, the top of which is just about visible before the crop of the image truncates it. The right column has the text 'An Eye For An Eye For An Eye—Pamphlet for Stewed Rhubarb Press, 2021'. At the very bottom of the page is a white, full-width banner, containing button controls to switch the theme from light to dark, and to increase or decrease the text size.
The 'Shows' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a mobile screen. It has a serene blue-green background and black text. In the top-right corner, sitting in front of the content, is a diamond shape with a black border containing the word Menu in a bold geometric sans-serif. To the left and below is a quote from 'Review Sphere' that reads 'Within Sight is an exceptional piece of spoken word theatre, Renton’s performance is honest, self-aware and has clear intentions.' Sitting below this in the centre of the page is a white diamond motif, and at the very bottom of the page, stretching the full width, is a white banner containing the text 'Colour and text controls' alongside an downwards-pointing arrow icon, which sits above button controls that enable the switching of the theme from light to dark, and the increasing and decreasing of the text size.

I really appreciated their approach to accessibility: the interest in this was genuine and never an afterthought.

Ellen Renton
The 'Shows' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a desktop screen. It has a serene bluey-green background and black text. Ellen's name sits in the top-left corner in a large, characterful, bold, italicised script font. Alongside is the site menu in a much smaller, bold geometric sans-serif. Below, adjacent to a white diamond motif, is the word 'Shows' in a large, extra bold geometric sans-serif font. Below is a paragraph of text in a much smaller size which reads 'I am a founding member of In The Works—as a company we bring together poetry and contemporary performance conventions to create minimalist spoken word theatre.' Below this the page is split into two columns, which are slightly vertically offset from each other. The left contains the top of an image with a thick white border, the top of which is about half visible before the crop of the image truncates it, and appears to depict a woman with albinism in blue running clothes running down a tree-lined park path towards the camera. The right column has the text 'Within Sight—Spoken Word Performance for In The Works, Ongoing'. At the very bottom of the page is a white, full-width banner, containing button controls to switch the theme from light to dark, and to increase or decrease the text size.
The mobile menu from Ellen Renton's website, which has a grey background and black text. Ellen's name sits in the top-left corner in a large, characterful, bold, italicised script font. Alongside is a white diamond shape with a black border, containing the text 'Close'. Below are then menu links, centred on the page, which read 'About, Poetry, Shows, Collaborations, Other Work, News, Contact'.

Framing the scene

Formed from an asymmetric framework of tactile, oversized frames atop a palette of warm, serene pastels, projects are further divided into separate, tangible sections via the addition of a diamond motif that is echoed throughout the site.

In keeping with this marriage, typographically speaking, we paired the friendly, legible geometry of Quasimoda with the rounded, poetic script of Livermore.

The 'Collaborations' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a mobile screen. It has a rich yellow background and black text. In the top-right corner, sitting in front of the content, is a diamond shape with a black border containing the word Menu in a bold geometric sans-serif. Behind and below this is the bottom of an image with a thick white border. Underneath the image is a quotation from 'Inverted Audio' that reads 'Renton and McDonald find a perfect equilibrium between spoken word and sound.' Sitting below this in the centre of the page is a white diamond motif, which is followed by the text 'Parts of the Day—Film for Douglas Tyrrell Bunge, 2020. Shortlisted for Ó Bhéal Award Best Poetry Film'. At the very bottom of the page, stretching the full width, is a white banner containing the text 'Colour and text controls' alongside an upwards-pointing arrow icon.
The 'Other Works' page from Ellen Renton's website, as viewed on a desktop screen. Ellen's name sits in the top-left corner in a large, characterful, bold, italicised script font. Alongside is the site menu in a much smaller, bold geometric sans-serif. It has a pastel-purple background and black text. Below this the page is split into two columns, which are slightly vertically offset from each other. The left contains the top of an image with a thick white border, which is a live photo of Within Sight: a woman with albinism in blue running clothes is sitting in the centre of a blank, dark stage, shadows obscuring her face. The right column has the text 'A (Postponed) Tour Diary—Article for Unlimited, 2020'. At the very bottom of the page is a white, full-width banner, containing button controls to switch the theme from light to dark, and to increase or decrease the text size.

I worked with Frontwards Design to create a website that recorded my work in poetry and performance. The team were incredibly easy to work with, and we had clear and regular communication throughout. I particularly appreciated their creative approach, and how all elements, from colours to fonts, were specifically designed in relation to my content and aims for the site. I also really appreciated their approach to accessibility: the interest in this was genuine and never an afterthought, and the team were committed to researching different possibilities. I’m so pleased with how the site looks, and how Patrick and Oliver brought the ideas in our conversations to fruition. Since launching, I’ve had so much positive feedback on the look and feel of the site, particularly regarding clarity and ease of use.

Ellen Renton