Gary M. Pomerantz
The Client
Gary M. Pomerantz is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and lecturer in the Graduate Program in Journalism at Stanford University. Over a career spanning four decades and six nonfiction books, his work has explored American history, race relations, the media, and sports, always through the lens of ordinary people and the choices they make. His books include Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, Their Life’s Work, The Devil’s Tickets, and The Last Pass, a portrait of Bob Cousy and Bill Russell. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker. Ahead of the 25th-anniversary re-release of Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds, Gary wanted a digital home that matched the body of work behind his name.
The Challenge
Gary’s existing website had been built around a single moment: the launch of The Last Pass. Its Celtics-green backdrop, stacked retailer logos, and book-promo layout served that campaign well, but over time the site came to read as a landing page for one title rather than a home for an entire career. Five other books, his speaking work, and decades of journalism were tucked behind secondary navigation. Dated details also undercut the authority of the work itself, including a row of legacy social icons for platforms that no longer exist and a compressed, template-driven layout.
With the 25th-anniversary edition of Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds arriving in May 2027, the site also needed to scale. It had to feature new releases prominently without being rebuilt each time.
Objectives
- Reposition the site from a single-book promotion to a career-spanning author platform.
- Establish a refined, timeless visual identity that reflects Gary’s stature as an author, lecturer, and journalist.
- Give all six books, his speaking work, and his media coverage clear, equal footing in the navigation.
- Create a flexible “featured book” structure that can spotlight new releases, like the Nine Minutes, Twenty Secondsre-release, without a redesign.
- Deliver a fully responsive experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- Remove outdated platforms and links, and streamline the paths to purchase, booking, and contact.
Strategy & Execution
- Discovery & Architecture - We audited the existing site and mapped Gary’s three core audiences: readers, event organizers, and media. The new information architecture is built around five clear destinations: About, Books, Speaking, In the Media, and Contact. Each part of his career now has its own home instead of competing for space on one page.
- Brand & Visual Design - We moved away from team colors and promotional styling toward a restrained, editorial look. A full-bleed portrait set against Gary’s own library shelves anchors the homepage and signals “author” at a glance. A clean geometric sans-serif typographic system and a black, white, and soft-gray palette let the book covers provide the color.
- Featured Book System - The homepage leads with a modular featured-book section that can rotate between titles as his publishing calendar changes. It currently highlights the May 2027 return of Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds, followed by a browsable “Gary’s Books” carousel covering his full bibliography.
- Speaking & Media - Dedicated Speaking and In the Media sections give event planners and press what they need quickly. These include a concise speaker overview and an editorial card layout that collects coverage from outlets such as The New York Times and Business Insider.
- Webflow Development - Every template was designed and built for a seamless experience on every screen. The hero, book carousels, and media cards adapt cleanly from wide desktop layouts to a thumb-friendly mobile view.
The Results
- Repositioned Gary’s online presence from a single-title promotion to a cohesive, career-spanning author brand.
- Elevated perceived authority through a refined editorial design that puts the work and the writer first.
- Gave all six books a consistent, browsable home, with clear paths to learn more and purchase.
- Built a reusable featured-book structure ready to launch the Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds anniversary edition and future titles.
- Strengthened the speaking and media sections to support keynote bookings and press inquiries.
- Retired outdated platforms and links for a cleaner, more current experience across every device.
Summary
Bluecap Studio helped Gary M. Pomerantz turn a website built for one book launch into a platform worthy of an entire career. Through clear information architecture, a timeless editorial design, and a flexible featured-book system, we gave a celebrated author, lecturer, and journalist a digital home that honors his past work and is ready for what’s next. The first test is the 2027 return of Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds.
