Project overview
The Giraffe Language, or Sjiraffspraket, is a Norwegian-language website I built for a client from Norway that I found through Reddit. This project stood out for one simple reason: it was my first website in a language I do not speak.
A few years ago, that kind of project would have felt impractical. Today, with AI-assisted research, translation, and content drafting, the language barrier is much smaller than it used to be. Since I already use AI tools to help structure and generate English content when needed, extending that workflow into another language became completely realistic.
The website itself is a small, non-commercial project focused on explaining the ideas and communication philosophy of Marshall B. Rosenberg. The requirements were intentionally light, which made this a good opportunity to keep the experience simple, calm, and polished rather than overbuilding it.
Challenge
The main challenge was not technical complexity. It was clarity and confidence. When you are building in a language you do not fully understand, you need a workflow that lets you stay accurate, consistent, and visually intentional without relying on constant client correction.
The client gave me a high level of freedom on both the design and structure, so I was responsible for shaping the project end to end: logo direction, page layout, content flow, and the overall tone of the site. That amount of trust can either slow a project down or make it move very smoothly. In this case, it moved fast and cleanly.
Solution
I built the site with WordPress, using Blocksy as the theme and Greenshift as the page builder. For the contact page, I used Fluent Forms, and for lightweight search optimization I added The SEO Framework.
Visually, I kept the direction minimal and consistent around two core colors, #096a61 and #f2d7bc. That limited palette gave the project a soft, elegant look that fits the subject matter without making the design feel cold or generic.
The layouts were intentionally straightforward. The goal was not to impress with complexity, but to make the content feel approachable and well organized, especially for a website centered on ideas and explanation rather than commerce.
One of the strongest outcomes of this project was how smoothly the process went. Even though it was my first Norwegian-language build and I worked with substantial creative freedom, the site was approved without a single revision after submission. That is a strong result for any project, and an even stronger one when language could have been the main point of friction.
The final result is a clean multi-page website that proves language is no longer the barrier it once was when the workflow is structured well. It also shows how a simple project can still feel thoughtful, elegant, and complete when the fundamentals are handled properly.
