Tristan Jakob-Hoff: Helping a composer promote his work through a passion for graphic design

The story of how I helped composer Tristan Jakob-Hoff create a website that reflects both his personality and his passion for graphic design.

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The challenge

Tristan Jakob-Hoff is a British composer for film, television, stage, and video games. He wanted a website to reflect both his music and his love of mid-century graphic design. As we talked about his work, Tristan and I kept returning to Saul Bass’ graphic style and the simplicity of his movie posters. My challenge was to create a website inspired by that visual language while making something that’s unmistakably Tristan’s own.

My approach

Inspiration should always lead to original ideas. Every design decision helps express Tristan’s passion for mid-century graphic design while creating a visual identity that’s recognisably his. A limited colour palette, confident typography, and striking layouts all work together to create a website that’s confident and memorable.

The solution

The finished website combines expressive typography with highly-structured layouts inspired by the principles of modernist graphic design. I created original graphics, incorporating piano keys—Tristan’s main instrument—to reflect his personality throughout the website.

A restrained palette of (almost) black, (nearly) white, and a single accent colour adds clarity while allowing the graphics and type to take centre stage. Behind the scenes, I developed an HTML and CSS prototype before integrating Eleventy, making it simple for Tristan to update his portfolio when he releases new music.

Behind the design

Every project begins with research. I spent time revisiting the work of Saul Bass and other mid-century designers to understand what makes their work so timeless. Those studies informed my colour choices, illustration style, and typeface selection. I also developed a compound layout grid that gives the website its unique visual rhythm. Every design decision helps strengthen Tristan’s visual identity while keeping his work at the centre of the experience.

The result

Tristan Jakob-Hoff’s finished website feels every bit as distinctive as his music. Visitors are met with a visual identity that’s inspired by Tristan’s love of mid-century graphic design. They can then explore his work accompanied by powerful typography, impactful illustrations, and carefully considered layouts.

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Andy is that rare combination of a designer who really knows his technical stuff and has an incredible gift for design. He’s the go-to person if you want a design which looks fresh and original. It was an absolute pleasure working with Andy and watching him pull from his imagination, things I could never have dreamed of.

What this project demonstrates

Design can learn from inspiration without copying it. By combining original graphic design, typography, and carefully constructed layouts, I helped Tristan Jakob-Hoff create a website that reflects his personality and the creative influences that inspire him.