What makes a great Squarespace website design

First of all, forget about designing a website at all. Get to know the fundamentals of good design: scale, colors, font pairings, negative space. Start by looking at graphic design by professionals. I always go back to print design: magazines and catalogs. You get tons of junk mail, probably. Save the catalogs from retailers you like. I like Patagonia and Tracksmith. Both brands speak to my personal leanings, that outdoor sports is a culture that should be embraced. Start there. Align your personal ethos with how you are going to design your future Squarespace website.

Then, I look at the details. What colors are these professional designers using? Where are they placing images? What size are the images that go next to each other? What fonts are they using? Are the traditional fonts or more modern? What mood is the entirety of the catalog provoking

Really dig into how the design makes you feel. Both of those catalogs make me want to go outside and have an adventure, and of course wear pricey fancy clothes while doing it, which is the motivation behind putting out those catalogs. Sure, $120 for shorts, no problem. I want to feel like the story told through the catalog.

Another reference that I turn to is the Sunday New York Times Magazine. I grew up with this insert in the Sunday New York Times newspaper that my dad purchased from the convenience store (Wawa, growing up in Philadelphia). As a child I read about educators, politicians, educators and remember photo portraits of their faces positioned within the magazine for maximum emotional connection. I didn’t actually consider the design elements when I was younger, but I remember its consistent impact.

Branding really matters

So one of the questions I always ask a client before I begin a Squarespace website design project is: What brands do you like? I love that our world offers so many options for a range of tastes. Effective branding is strong and unapologetic. I identify with Nike. They got me at an early age with basketball themed posters of then superstars of the NBA. George Gervin, the smooth scorer for the San Antonio Spurs, was known as “The Iceman” and Nike’s designers created a poster of him sitting on a block of ice. The brand made me like the company early and I’ve stuck with them.

On the flip side, a brand that is tremendously popular is Skechers. I want nothing to do with it and that’s why it is so great. Skechers is a brand of sneakers that is all about practicality and comfort. I’m superficial. I want to look “cool” and care about how others perceive my personal brand. Skechers knows its target market. Their customer seeks comfort at a good price and could care less about looking cool. At least, that’s how I perceive the brand. 

So back to Squarespace websites

Take a deep dive into your personal brand, which flows into your business brand. Get a strong grasp of what that means first before you start designing your Squarespace website. Be yourself. I always ask my clients “So what? Who cares? Why you?” It’s three simple questions that once you get clarity on can really jumpstart what problems you solve for your prospects. 

Sell aspirin. It’s a simple premise. Take away someone’s pain and you will have customers for life.

Be different too. No, I’m not asking you to try to be different. You are already unique inherently, just be unafraid of being yourself and that will allow you to be different. 

The steps to take

Create your content first. Slap it into your empty pages. Then take time to refine the look of your website. Have fun and let me know how it’s going.