Amanda Guerassio

WTF Just Happened?!: A Brand for the Science-Minded Skeptic Exploring the Afterlife

CLIENT

WTF Just Happened?! / Elizabeth Entin

DATE

2021-2024

INDUSTRY

Media / Publishing / Podcast

SCOPE

Logo suite, book covers, Squarespace website and brand guidelines.

Project Overview

Liz Entin started WTF Just Happened?! as a deeply personal passion project following the sudden loss of her father. What began as a search for meaning and healing became a skeptical-yet-open-minded exploration of afterlife evidence, grief processing, and spiritual phenomena — all told through a scientific lens.

The challenge? Building a visual brand that could hold both sides of that coin: thoughtful and science-driven, but also warm, human, and a little irreverent.

Objectives

  • Create a visual identity that bridges the rational and the metaphysical
  • Design book covers that are eye-catching, a bit cheeky, and tonally aligned with the subject matter
  • Develop a brand system that supports books, podcast, and web content
  • Build a Squarespace website to introduce the brand and guide people into the ecosystem
WTF Just Happened logo suite and color palette.

My Role & Deliverables

As the sole designer on the project, I handled all visual direction and execution across print and digital, including:

  • Logo Suite: A mix of scrawled serif and clean sans-serif type in a stylized thought bubble, expressing both curiosity and clarity
  • Color Palette: Slightly unexpected pastels and soft neutrals — modern, approachable, and just offbeat enough to stand out
  • Book Covers (Vol 1 & 2): Designed layouts and selected imagery to strike a humorous but thoughtful tone. The first cover was built around a stock image of a shrugging skeleton I sourced; the second used AI-generated imagery for continuity
  • Brand Guidelines: A detailed PDF outlining logo usage, typography, palette, and usage examples for social and print
  • Website Design: Custom-designed and implemented via Squarespace with a clean, inviting layout and navigation

Design Approach

The tone was key — nothing too woo-woo, nothing too clinical. Just like Liz’s writing, the brand needed to feel intelligent, open, emotionally honest, and just a little weird.

We leaned into minimalism and whitespace, with carefully selected fonts and colors to keep the design modern and readable. The skeleton motif on the book covers added a hit of unexpected humor — a way to nod to the subject matter without getting too dark or sentimental.

WTF Just Happened?! Book 1 cover
WTF book covers
WTF Just Happened?! Book 2 cover

Tools & Workflow

Design: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign

Web Build: Squarespace

Collaboration: Fully remote with iterative feedback via email and Google Drive

WTF Just Happened?! launch website.

Results & Impact

  • The brand system has remained consistent across books, podcast, and digital presence
  • Liz successfully published the first two books and continues to use the branding across platforms
  • Feedback from Liz and her audience has affirmed that the visual identity “perfectly captures the vibe” of the project
  • The identity continues to support Liz’s voice and presence as she expands her work in the grief and afterlife space
WTF Just Happened!? mini ebook cover
Mini teaser book – ebook only

Why This Project Matters

This case study showcases my ability to visually articulate complex emotional tones, build a flexible brand system across media formats, and guide a client from abstract concept to launch-ready visuals. It also highlights my capacity to inject personality into serious subject matter — without sacrificing professionalism or clarity.

Testimonial

“My brand was not easily portrayed visually, but Amanda captured it perfectly and it looks amazing!

She was really thorough, starting with a long and in-depth questionnaire that not only helped her understand my brand, but helped me understand it better. She was really communicative and collaborative too.

I 100% recommend Amanda!

Liz E.
Founder, WTF Just Happened?!