Summary
FlexTech.ai used Human Centered Design, in-house digital branding, and custom web design to build a new digital identity for Shawn Michael Warren, a fine artist whose career was reaching international acclaim, but whose digital brand was poorly equipped to leverage new opportunities.
Warren, who rose to fame in the art world for his portrait of Oprah Winfrey at the National Portrait Gallery in 2023, was relying on a dated template-dependant website to showcase his work and was missing opportunities for new business because his website did not reflect the true character of his work and persona as an artist.
We started at the beginning by building a full brand system for Shawn, including visual assets, compelling storytelling language, and strategic calls to action. The result was a complex, yet intuitive website that showcases his work, communicates his artistic brand, and brings new clients and commissioners into Shawn’s orbit.
About Shawn Michael Warren
Shawn Michael Warren is a renowned fine artist whose work is known for its powerful narratives and striking realism, often exploring historical events and figures through portraiture, public art, and sculpture.
His work has featured iconic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, and Marshall Major Taylor, in addition to pieces addressing significant social issues like the Great Migration, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and the Flint water crisis.
Warren's art has been exhibited in prestigious venues around the world, including The National Portrait Gallery, Sotheby’s, the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, The Laguna Art Museum, and the Carnegie Center for Art & History.
The Challenge
In 2023, Shawn Michael Warren was facing a transitional moment in his career: one that had the potential to launch him from a career as a muralist and portrait artist in Chicago to a seat on the Global stage as one of his generation’s most important fine artists. While Shawn was ready to greet these new opportunities, his digital presence and branding were not. His website was tired, outdated, and lacked the authoritative visual appeal to adequately communicate the caliber of his work.
Like many artists, Shawn struggled with the challenge of communicating the value of his work to potential clients and commissioners, whose first impression was often a poorly-branded, slow, and difficult to navigate website. While personal relationships are key in the art world, a bad first impression makes it difficult to get past the starting gate.
Shawn Michael Warren had no shortage of talent, but his digital identity and branding made it impossible for others to appreciate his vision. As a result he was missing out on important relationships and opportunities to take his work to the next level.
The Solution
We started by analyzing other highly in-demand artists in Shawn’s field, and developed a comprehensive perspective on how they were telling their stories in the digital space. Our goal was to create a digital identity for Shawn that aligned with some of these successful cases, but that was also something entirely unique to set him apart from the competition.
We stripped Shawn’s brand back down to the basics and facilitated a complete overhaul, including a custom logo, modern typesets, and compelling copy that told his story. We didn’t just want people to see Shawn’s work, we wanted them to really get to know him, so that they could understand his work in the proper context
Our developers built Shawn a one-of-a-kind headless CMS website, ensuring full customization capabilities, lightning fast operating speeds, and secure zero-trust architecture. The whole process was managed directly by FlexTech.ai’s digital marketing experts, who generated and aligned seamless content to make sure the site would not only tell Shawn’s story but generate commissions and other business leads.
Finally, we facilitated a strategic launch of the site prior to the unveiling of Shawn’s acclaimed portrait of Oprah Winfrey at the National Portrait Gallery, running regular maintenance checks to monitor website traffic and inquiries.
Impact
Shawn Michael Warren’s work is now easily discoverable and accessible via a custom website that actively tells a story, rather than a dated collection of scrollable JPEG images.
Shawn’s new logo is now more prominent in web searches for his name, signaling improved SEO across the board.
Traffic to Shawn’s website has improved exponentially, with 2,200+ unique visitors monthly.
Since the completion of this project, Shawn’s revenue from new commissions has increased by 500%.
Inquires from global art collectors also increased, as a result of heightened brand visibility.
Shawn’s new digital brand and website have resulted in an increase in publicity; since its launch, he has been featured in publications such as Forbes, CBS Chicago, and Modern Luxury Magazine.
Client Testimonial
"As a visual artist, it has become increasingly important to have a digital presence, especially when operating independently. The FlexTech.ai team guided me in elevating my personalized digital footprint. This process was easy and a great learning experience.
The digital transformation FlexTech.ai facilitated has had a direct impact on my career; in the past year, I've had more high profile commissions, and my revenue has increased by 500%. Needless to say, there's nobody I trust more with my brand and digital marketing strategy.”
- Shawn Michael Warren, Fine Artist
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