Bringing an Immigration Scholar’s Research to Life

When immigration scholar Fatmanur Delioğlu approached me about designing her an academic homepage, she needed more than a professional CV online. She needed a digital space that could vividly convey her academic journey, field research, and vision, while also connecting her with potential collaborators, employers, and funders. As an ethnographer with a focus on migration and refugee experiences, Fatmanur wanted a digital presence that reflected her interest in narrative-building and displayed her academic credentials.

My solution was a Squarespace website designed to balance academic authority with immersive storytelling. Drawing inspiration from Fatmanur’s field photographs in refugee centers across Eastern Europe, I selected a color palette focusing on tones of sea and sky blue to evoke calm, trust, and focus, while reflecting the journeys of the communities she studies. The homepage is structured to guide visitors through her research in a compelling way: an immersive hero image of a refugee camp invites users into the field, followed by a concise introduction that establishes her identity and the site’s purpose. Publications are presented interactively, emphasizing engagement over mere listing, with abstracts and external links for deeper exploration. Throughout, photographs from the field punctuate the layout, creating an immersive experience that communicates the feel of her research while keeping her professional narrative clear.