As Thunderstruck’s resident Web Designer and giant Harry Potter nerd, I thought I would take my blog this month to give a shout out to the beauty that is the Pottermore website.

Pottermore, for those of you out there who aren’t as obsessed with the magical world created by J. K. Rowling as I, is a website made to create a digital experience for one of the largest fan communities in the world. The site features many interactive quizzes and experiences allowing the user to feel part of the Harry Potter Magic, everything from getting sorted into your house (Gryffindor, obviously) to finding out what your patronus would be – mine is an adorable little stoat!

Many of the interactive elements of the site are set in a responsive 3D animated environment and feature originally scored music. Recently the site launched what it calls an “immersive digital experience” enabling users to take a 360 degree virtual tour of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (at pottermore.com/hogwarts). The level of interactivity on the site is just astonishing, the illustrations are beautiful, and the functionality even on mobile is pretty good considering how hefty and interactive the site is. This site is just a good example for me of web design professionals really pushing the limits of what is possible.

I spent some time playing around with the features of the site and it appealed to both the fan girl and designer in me. From a web designer’s perspective it really displays how far web design has come and can go.

I would suggest you explore the site for yourself! Check out Pottermore by clicking here.