So what do you think?! It has been a wonderful 4 months building this website with the expert crew at Clique Studios. I marvel at how Sean Maconachy could alchemize my barely coherent descriptions into this magnificence. Did you notice the banners are uber-up-close pixellated images? Not telling what they are of, but don’t worry, I promise it’s not you, well unless you are Elisa D’amico. Oh, and the pixels move. Did you see that little trick?!
Enormous thanks to Beth Beckman and to all the survivors/victims and former clients who talked to us and shared their wisdom. The input you shared with Beth helped form this into a usable resource for others who are in the thick of it. I owe so much to you. One of the things we learned from those talks is that we are talking to two main audiences. There are those who are in the middle of the storm, who are panicked and swirling, frantically grasping for a life raft. They stumble upon this website, come here with no information, don’t know what terms to type into Google or that there are professionals that can help and laws that pertain. The other group are those who have already gone through that initial surge of panic and despair, and found that not only do these offenses have names, but there are resources to help and actions we can take if they reach out. The goal for this website is to welcome those in the first phase, to comfort them, to give them information and hope, and to ultimately deliver them into the second phase where they’re ready for help.
When it came to design, my first instructions for the crew at Clique was: 1) No stock photos of victims in a corner with their head in their lap. 2) None of that lawyer hogwash. No gavels, columns, or scales allowed. 3) Aesthetically, it must stun like Rihanna’s 2012 Met Gala Tom Ford alligator dress, redefine like a 1966 Lamborghini Miura, sparkle like Bvlgari’s Serpenti collection. My clients are cool, hip, savvy people. This needed to be worthy of them. I believe it is.
My wish is that all the shitty people in the world would just stop their madness and put me out of a job. Until they do, I’m here. And I hope this beautiful new website helps at least a little bit to show them they are not alone.
Big love to my Mom who spent endless hours editing and thank you to my honest badass sage, Annmarie, for her input. Thank you to my clients who are the best instructors of all and were so open with Beth. Thank you Ian for knowing everything you know.
As for Clique Studios, you shattered the ceiling with this. From my first conversation with Creative Director, Derek, I knew I’d found a crew that could take my ideas and make them beautiful and accessible. Sean, my Project Manager, you translated every detail and remembered everything, even the muffled things at the end of long calls I’d stretched out too long, all while the NFL draft was happening in your building in Chicago. Michael, the U/EX, you made it pretty and intuitive and you were plugged in, strategizing wireframing and design from start to finish. Austin’s design contributions can’t be overstated. The pixellated banners, his idea. Making the design elements feel completely cohesive but not repetitive? Also Austin. The entire Clique Design Team led by Sue Janna enhanced Austin’s gorgeous designs. Then Tim, the Developer, took the static designs from Austin and made it a real honest to god website. He created all these special ways to make the pixellated banners customizable and updatable. He figured out the map for the States with Revenge Porn Laws page. He was the guy who answered yes to every sentence that started wit “Would it be possible. . .” I know there were so many others at Clique who helped And thank you to all of you. I’m so lucky to have found you and all the future visitors are also lucky I did.