Challenge
Desert Sol Dancesport, an established annual ballroom competition, needed a website redesign to better reflect the unique character of the event. The existing site featured a dated Arizona Sonoran Desert theme, which no longer aligned with the organizers’ vision. They wanted to shift the branding to a more captivating “celestial desert night” theme, capturing the elegance and magic of the Pro dancer competition taking place at night. The website also needed to be easy for the client to update year after year, as their previous site lacked accessibility for making crucial event updates.
Existing site
Footer
vendors
Contact
Approach
To ensure that the redesign captured the spirit of the event, I worked closely with the Desert Sol team to define a new visual direction, moving away from the existing desert theme and into a more celestial, mystical aesthetic.
I prioritized usability and future-proofing the website by designing a custom WordPress dashboard that allowed the client to easily update event details, judges, and vendors each year without developer intervention. I also incorporated SEO strategies to improve visibility for local and national ballroom competitors.
old color palette direction
new color palette direction
custom graphic moon
custom stars
custom stars
site images
Solution
I delivered a complete website overhaul that transformed Desert Sol Dancesport’s online presence. The new design reflected the celestial desert night theme while maintaining intuitive navigation and clear event details.
In addition to the front-end website, I built a custom WordPress dashboard that allowed the client to make updates independently. The redesign also included updated social media assets, print materials like banners and posters, and technical SEO enhancements to boost the event’s ranking in search results.
Search Results
internal dashboard
Custom Client dashboard
Impact
The new website launch was a success, aligning perfectly with the event’s reimagined branding and resulting in overwhelmingly positive feedback from both organizers and participants.
The easy-to-use WordPress dashboard enabled the client to manage annual updates effortlessly, ensuring the site remains relevant year after year. The revamped online presence also contributed to an increase in event participation, helping Desert Sol Dancesport stand out as a unique and visually striking competition.
