Gray Matters Graphic Design & Photography

Graphic Design and Photography

Building Beloved Communities | Squarespace Website Design

Design, Website DesignSarah Vogl

Expectations

Project start: October 12

We started with a brief phone call consultation to go over everything that’s included in the price of my website service and the timeline/process they could expect from me.

Website prompt:

  • Clean and modern

  • Tell the story of BBC and why they do what they do

  • A consulting firm that has a mix of Jeff Bezos and Mother Theresa.

  • Edgy — think professional, refined, a nice leather jacket

  • Should include cool photos, some attitude, be engaging

Inspiration

The client came prepared with an example of a website they liked which was colorful, clean and professional.

Process & Results

I use a variety of charts from online resources that break down template features to narrow down the options. I started by picking out templates that had some similar design cues to the website they sent me as inspiration. We went through a process of elimination to narrow it down further. We had it down to 2-3 and I was able to make the final call based on some of the available template tweaks I thought that would need.

Once we established the framework of the website and had most of the content in place, we incorporated the BBC brand:

  • The logo files the client provided were not perfect so I had to do a little bit of restoration and edits to make graphics that were up to my standards.

  • I pulled colors from the logo for the website elements.

  • I experimented with a few different effects on stock photos and client provided photos before settling on a duo-tone effect using the BBC brand colors.

  • I experimented with some typography that complimented their logo for the various headings throughout the site. I wanted to add some unique flair without making it too busy or flashy. I settled on some colorful typography with thick outlines, again in the BBC brand colors. (These images have meta-data attached that can be read out loud by accessibility features on phones for those who are visually disabled. This meta-data also ensures the image’s “text content” can be indexed by Google so we’re not missing out on any SEO opportunities by substituting text for images.)

The client had done a lot of their own research into what makes a good website, so they had questions about the following items — below are those questions and answers:

  • Q: How can we improve our SEO?
    A:     By the time I'm done, your SEO should be pretty perfect. Your name is already unique so we should have no issues at all. In my experience, Squarespace is better at taking care of this automatically compared to other CMS/website solutions.
    I will have this checklist completed for you: https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002090267-SEO-checklist
    "What Squarespace does for SEO": https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206744067-What-Squarespace-does-for-SEO
    I am happy to talk with you guys through how some of this works and how you can manage it yourselves going forward.

  • Q: What type of maintenance will our website need?
    A:     There is basically no maintenance, Squarespace does this automatically for you. All technical aspects such as software updates and plug-ins are automatically updated by Squarespace and require absolutely no user input. I can quickly equip you guys with the confidence to manage your entire Squarespace account without outside help indefinitely.

  • Q: Will we have a cookie banner, privacy policy, and terms & conditions popup for people to consent?
    A:     Squarespace has a cookie banner feature that can easily be turned on. https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206545727-Adding-a-cookie-banner

  • Q: TOC/Privacy Policy
    A:     The TOC and privacy policy can be easily added as a page! However, the best I can do is pull templates for these from Squarespace's resources or elsewhere online & make changes to fit your purposes. Ultimately I cannot offer legal advice, so you, the client, are responsible for the content -- i.e.: it will be up to you guys to know if this is required legally, and if my cut & paste TOC, privacy policy is sufficient/valid.

  • Q: Will our website be adaptable to mobile devices?
    A:     Squarespace sites do indeed automatically adapt to mobile devices. In fact, you can preview how a site looks on mobile within the desktop editor. In case you'd like to test it out, here's a link to skip to a part of a video where someone shows you how: https://youtu.be/bfLvHJ63zIA?t=38
    I always keep mobile in mind when laying out content. I have already previewed all versions of the site so that I can get a feel for the flow and make sure it reads well on both!

  • Q: Can you create a popup feature for people to subscribe to our monthly newsletter?
    A:     Yes, you can! But I would suggest weighing the pros and cons of using Squarespace campaigns versus MailChimp (another industry standard). Either can be an embedded and seamless experience.

    "The Pros and Cons of Squarespace's New Email Campaign Feature": https://www.elleandcompanydesign.com/blog/squarespace-email-campaigns

    "Squarespace Email Campaigns — Should You Use It?": https://www.stylefactoryproductions.com/blog/squarespace-email-campaigns-review

    "What is the best email marketing system for Squarespace websites?": https://emailexpert.com/blogs/what-is-the-best-email-marketing-system-for-squarespace-websites/

    "7 Things I love about Squarespace Campaigns in 2021": https://kerstinmartin.com/blog/squarespace-campaigns

    However! I should note that the promotional pop-up may not be included in personal tier pricing. Once you start getting into the more advanced features like email marketing and commerce, the price goes up a little. None of it will break the bank though -- it is extremely comparable in price to similar features on other platforms. (I still think Squarespace is better than the alternatives -- and worth the upcharge in places where it is more expensive.)

Website Launch / Project conclusion: December 16

At our virtual launch meeting we did a little troubleshooting to get their secondary domain transferred. We were also able to go over most of the client’s questions about how to use Squarespace. Beyond just editing the site, I gave them some tips/tricks, best practices on optimizing their SEO on new posts as the site grows.

Reflections

One of the most fulfilling parts of my role as a designer is negotiating a balance between:

  1. the client’s needs

  2. the client’s budget

  3. design/marketing principles

  4. the available tools (usually linked to #2)

While most of the website’s development was super straightforward (most requests recieved the response: “Done!” with some detail about how I did it or what kind of block I used) this project had a lot of instances where some of what the client requested was slightly limited by the available tools (i.e. Squarespace features) or design/marketing rules. However, there is almost NEVER a situation in which I have to tell a client “no”. There’s always a way to meet in the middle and offer the client multiple options with various pros and cons.

A Squarespace site creation service is more straightforward than a traditional website design service so we were able to finish this project well ahead of the client’s goal of a January launch date.

The benefit of having a designer set up your Squarespace site for you is that you can skip all the learning curves and design indecision. When you join the Gray Matters family, we set you up for success and share with you our tips and tricks to use Squarespace like a pro too.