Understand
Introduce the film, its storytellers, and why the work matters.
Impact film · Website direction · Community care
Boys on the Inside
A trauma-aware digital home and campaign system for an independent documentary about incarceration, recovery, LGBTQ+ identity, and the relationships that continue beyond prison.
ClientElliat Graney-Saucke, director and producer
My roleContent hierarchy, page composition, visual direction, resource integration, and care-card concept
TeamTwo designers working with a real client
TimelineThree months · ongoing
My contribution
I co-designed the website direction and led the content hierarchy, page composition, resource integration, and physical care-card concept. I also established the core typography and visual style. Visual and strategic decisions were developed collaboratively with one other designer.
Solution
A clearer invitation into the film
The redesigned experience introduces the documentary immediately, gives the story room to breathe, and creates clear paths to watch, support, learn, and find care resources.
Engage
Make screenings, updates, partnerships, and support easy to find.
Find care
Keep support resources visible without interrupting the film narrative.
Client brief
Prepare an 18-year documentary for a wider public life
Director and producer Elliat Graney-Saucke asked us to rethink the website, visual direction, campaign materials, and care resources as the film moved toward a planned 2027 release and future screenings.
People in recovery and LGBTQ+ communities who may recognize parts of their own experience in the film.
Families, educators, treatment programs, community partners, and documentary audiences.
The redesign is still in development. It has not launched and should be presented as an ongoing client project.
The original experience
A meaningful story without a clear first frame
Our heuristic review found that the homepage relied on one portrait and a long paragraph. New visitors had little help understanding the film’s scope, urgency, or next step.
- 01Unclear premise
The page did not quickly explain what kind of film this was or why the story mattered now.
- 02Story depended on one image
A single portrait carried too much context for visitors who had never heard of the documentary.
- 03Next steps were hidden
Trailer, screenings, support, and care resources did not form an obvious visitor journey.
Trauma-aware principles
Create emotional clarity without creating pressure
Because the film engages trauma and recovery, the experience needed to respect attention, choice, and different levels of readiness.
Center agency
Use language and imagery that foreground recovery, identity, and self-definition rather than spectacle.
Give control
Avoid autoplay and unexpected sensitive media. Let visitors choose when to watch or read more.
Make care reachable
Separate support from promotion, while keeping resources easy to find before and after a screening.
Key decisions
Three choices shaped the direction
These are design decisions grounded in the brief, heuristic review, and stakeholder collaboration—not claims of launched-product impact.
Make the film legible at first glance
Design consideration
The original homepage opened with one portrait and a long story paragraph. A first-time visitor could see a person, but not immediately understand the documentary, its urgency, or what to do next.
Design response
We established a direct film premise, a stronger title treatment, and clear actions for watching, learning, and supporting the project.
Let the story carry weight without sensationalizing it
Design consideration
The film addresses incarceration, addiction, trauma, recovery, and LGBTQ+ identity. Visual drama could easily compete with the storytellers or turn difficult experiences into spectacle.
Design response
We used a restrained black-and-yellow system, documentary imagery, careful pacing, and language centered on agency, recovery, and healing.
Extend care beyond the screen
Design consideration
The most sensitive moment may happen after a screening, when someone is no longer on the website but still needs grounding or support.
Design response
We designed a physical care-card concept with brief grounding prompts and support information that audiences could take with them.
Care beyond the screen
A resource people can carry with them
The physical care card is designed for the moment after a screening: one side offers a brief grounding prompt, while the other directs people toward trusted support. Final card photography is in progress.
Grounding prompt, film identity, and a quiet reminder that the viewer can pause.
Replace with final card photographSupport categories, contact pathways, and a QR link to current resources.
Replace with final card photographOutcome
A more legible, careful launch direction
The team established a clearer website hierarchy, a distinct visual system, stronger pathways for screenings and support, and a physical care-card concept. The work remains an in-progress client engagement, so the outcome is a validated direction and set of deliverables—not a launched-product metric.