Eleventy in a Box
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A composer’s website shouldn’t look like every other composer’s. Here’s how I designed a portfolio for Begoña Pereda that reflected the person behind the music.
Creative people often think their website should reflect what they do. I think it should reflect who they are. That might sound like a small distinction, but it’s one of the most important design decisions I make. Clients don’t choose composers, designers, illustrators, or photographers purely because of their creative ability. They choose people they feel a connection with. That’s the idea behind the work I did for composer Begoña Pereda.
Begoña is a film, television, and games composer based in Mexico City. At the beginning of her professional career, she needed a website that would introduce her work to directors, game developers, and producers while helping her establish a distinctive identity.

She could have chosen one of the many portfolio templates aimed at musicians. I’m glad she didn’t. That interested me immediately because every composer already has something no template can provide. A personality.
If you’d like to see how those ideas translated into the finished design, take a look at my Begoña Pereda portfolio page, where I explain the project from discovery through to delivery.
When I begin a project like this, I don’t spend much time looking at other composers’ websites. I’m far more interested in discovering what makes my client different.

As we talked, one detail kept resurfacing. Begoña loved analogue music technology. Not because it was fashionable, but because she genuinely enjoyed the design of cassette decks and reel-to-reel tape machines, and the tactile experience of recording music.

I could have designed another elegant portfolio with large photographs and cinematic backgrounds. That would’ve looked professional but it also could have belonged to just about any composer. Instead, I decided to build the entire visual identity around something uniquely hers.
Once I’d found the idea, I sketched cassette players, tape machines, and vintage audio equipment before redrawing everything as lightweight SVG illustrations. Those illustrations became interactive music players, with reels turning and cassettes spinning while tracks played.

The animations aren’t there to show off. Instead, they exist because they make the experience feel unmistakably like Bego. Typography followed the same philosophy. I explored several combinations before finding one that felt expressive enough to have personality without competing with the illustrations. The layouts remained deliberately restrained so the graphics and typography needn’t fight for attention.
This project reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time. Originality comes from from paying closer attention to what people tell you.

Every client has interests, influences, passions, and stories that make them different from everyone else in their field. My job is to notice those details and build on them.

Templates begin with generalisations, but I prefer to begin with unique individuals. I think that’s why Bego’s finished website feels personal rather than simply creative.
The finished Begoña Pereda website combines bespoke illustrations, thoughtful animations, and modern web technology to create a portfolio that’s every bit as individual as the composer behind it. Take a look at her finished website and read my portfolio case study to see how those ideas came together.

I’m Andy Clarke. I’ve spent over thirty years helping businesses, charities, and organisations create distinctive websites. I’m also the author of books on web design.
Planning a new website? I’d love to help you create something memorable.
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