The Final Arc
How my husband and I co-founded an indie culture publication — building the brand, the tech, the editorial voice, and the community from zero to thousands of readers.
A Publication Built on Genuine Love
Evan and I started Final Arc because we kept reading culture coverage that felt like it was going through the motions. Gaming, music, film, TV — all covered, but rarely with the kind of care and specificity that makes you feel like a writer actually gave a damn.
We wanted to build the publication we wanted to read. One that treated indie culture with the same seriousness that mainstream outlets reserve for blockbusters and chart-toppers.
Every story has a final arc — the part where things either come together or fall apart. We named the publication after that idea: an honest, direct look at culture, from people who are actually invested in it.
Building the Visual Identity
I built the Final Arc brand from scratch — every color, every typographic decision, every layout. The goal was a visual language that felt energetic and fun without being loud. Retro-inspired but genuinely contemporary.
The logo and mascot — a retro illustrated character — gave the brand personality and a sense of humor. The result was a publication that looked like it had been around for years, not launched by two people in their living room.
Five Writers, One Voice
Building a team of writers meant finding people who could bring their genuine perspective to their beat without us having to homogenize it into something safe and bland. We found that in five people.
Kat Childs
Evan Childs
Steven
Justin
Nathan
What I Built & Owned
Built the Final Arc visual identity — logo, color system, typography, and all digital touchpoints from scratch
Designed and launched the publication site, setting up the CMS, editorial workflows, and publishing infrastructure
Shaped the publication's voice and cultural perspective — what we covered, how we covered it, and why
Managed the writing team across 5 contributors, coordinated schedules, and kept things moving
What We Built
Writers covering culture with genuine investment
Readers per article at peak traction
Planned year of revival
A Pause, Not a Goodbye
In March 2025, our daughter was born. Her early months brought health challenges that made everything else — including Final Arc — secondary.
Final Arc isn't gone. We're planning to bring it back in 2027. The brand exists. The team has been preserved. The archive is intact. When we return, we'll have something to return to.
The Publication
Brand identity — logo, color system, typography, and visual language built from scratch
Publication site — CMS, editorial workflows, and publishing infrastructure designed and launched
Editorial coverage — indie gaming, music, and culture written by people who genuinely care
Why This Project Matters to My Portfolio
Final Arc is the project that proves I can own something from vision to execution — and care enough to do it right even when no one is paying me to.— On why Final Arc belongs in this portfolio
Every other project in this portfolio was built for someone else. Final Arc is mine. That distinction matters — because it means every decision was a deliberate expression of taste, not a response to a brief.