Website Design for Artists: Squarespace Shop and Brand
Squarespace custom website build, plus extras including printed assets | Timeline: 4 Weeks
This is Squarespace website design for artists in practice. Georgie Good, a UK graphite and coloured pencil artist who specialises in portraits and takes bespoke commissions, hired me for an e-commerce website, brand assets and matching business cards and leaflets.
The starting point
Georgie already had a website: a Wix portfolio with a gallery, her story and a contact form for commission enquiries. She posted on the Harrogate District Network looking for a designer and heard from several. She chose me, she told me, because I’d mentioned I’d been an artist too, I came across as professional but approachable, and someone had recommended me. She had two worries: whether she could afford a designer, and whether working over Zoom would suit her, as she’d asked to meet face to face. She told me both ended up not being a problem.
Goals for the website
Show her artwork in a way that feels like her.
Give her the credibility she was looking for.
Sell prints and take bespoke commissions online.
A way to promote local events and art classes.
Complement her business Facebook page.
Use the colours she wanted.
Keep the words in her own voice.
What I did
Strategy and content
An initial Zoom call, arranged quickly.
A way of gathering information and turning it into “stories”, so Georgie could write her own web copy.
A shared project system so she could see updates and what was still needed.
Visuals and brand
Colours chosen based on client’s input.
Fonts chosen based on client’s input.
Favicon, Facebook icon, icons for her services, graphics for her art shop and collages.
Artwork mockups, including frames to show how her prints would look.
Email signature.
Shop and build
Squarespace e-commerce website with Stripe payments set up.
Design details she noticed: a page that emerges as you scroll, and a translucent chaffinch behind the words.
Accessibility integration.
Business cards and A5 leaflets. I also arranged printing and delivery.
After launch
Training.
Asset handover.
Custom brand style guide - handy to refer to via PDF or site back-end
Old Wix site.
After: The launched website.
The brand behind the site
Georgie wanted the site to feel feminine, creative, fresh, and approachable. Georgie already an idea for the her colour palette and I curated the fonts Josefin as it’s an easy font to read and went well with the mood for the site along with Cordo, a more traditional font. Imagery was provided by the client’s beautiful artwork for her service pages. I created service icons, a few mockups to show off her art pieces in a home setting, and shop items formatted to work with the site. I also created a handy brand style guide for referral and printed assets.
How we worked together
Our first Zoom call.
Gathering information and turning it into stories, so she could write her own words.
A shared system so she could follow progress.
Brand assets and mockups, with her chosen colours.
Build.
Business cards, leaflets and training.
What changed
Georgie gave a rating for the site of 10 our of 10 via my feedback form. She told me that family and friends had given her great feedback. After launching, she said the site has given her credibility that she was seeking, whilst it still feels like her. She also left a five-star Google review in July 2022 (see below).
A client testimonial from someone who didn’t have the headspace and time to tackle a website project
“When I put my post on Harrogate District Network, I was approached by several web designers, but I felt immediately drawn to you as you mentioned you were an artist too, so I felt that you'd have more of an insight into my needs. You also came across as very professional, but approachable, and I was impressed by your website, your 'remedies' and the work you'd done already. I also liked the fact that someone had recommended you to me.
I wondered if I'd be able to afford you, and as I had asked to see someone face to face, I did wonder if working via zoom would suit me. As it turns out, both of these potential issues were soon allayed.
Yes, absolutely, and to anyone and everyone, as I have done already! I think you have proved that you can create an amazing website, with so many key features that make it stand out above the rest.10 out of 10. I think you can tell how happy I am, and so far have had great feedback too from family and friends!
I'm so glad that I was able to do the wording, aided by your clever method of gathering information and creating 'stories', so the whole website still feels like 'me'. I don't feel like someone has just sat in a room and created a website without any input or understanding of who I am and what I do.
I'm so impressed with the accessibility feature, not something I would have even thought about, and as one friend has already commented, this is wonderful to see and makes the website available to all.
I really appreciated the initial and very quickly arranged zoom call, as 'meeting' up further confirmed that I was in safe hands, and you were really thorough in your communication, but also put my mind at rest that you appreciated I wasn't 'technically advanced', and spoke to me in a way I would understand.
A huge thank you! You have been amazing Jane, and have gone above and beyond what I hoped for! You are an absolute diamond, and I'm so glad I chose you! I'm glad that you're able to continue to help me with my business cards and flyers, and look forward to moving forward with my newfound confidence!”.
- Georgie Good, UK Artist
Google Five-Star Review: Launched 2022
“I am now fully trusting her with my business card and A5 flyer designs too and I recommend Jane to anyone who needs a new website, an overhaul to an existing one or any business brand coaching. I am beyond delighted with the work she has done for me!”.
What’s Included With The Website
A Custom Website Project like this combined several aspects that moved this quote up, such as e-commerce, printed assets, brand styling, and web copy support.
Fully bespoke. Fully done for you.
Projects from £3,500
Not quite right? Choose one of the options below.
The Quickstart 3-Day Website
I take my own proven design foundation, customise it with your brand and content, and hand you a polished, launch-ready website. Faster, leaner, and still properly done. Not a DIY job plonked online. A real website, built by a pro.
Price: £2,495 | Launch-ready in 3 days once your content is received.
Squarespace Help Session
Stuck on something specific?
Book a 90-minute session and let's get it sorted.
Price £175/90 minutes
Squarespace Website Maintenance
A focused session to refresh, fix, update, or glow up your existing Squarespace site.
Fast, thorough, and all done for you.
Half-Day · £349 | Full Day · £698
FAQ’s
-
Yes, you most certainly can sell your art and take commissions through a Squarespace site. Usually, my Custom Squarespace Website project would be our starting point, or for simpler sites, the 3-Day Quickstart Site.
-
From £3,500 for a Custom Website, or from £2495 for simpler sites and my Quickstart 3-Day Squarespace Website.
-
You’ll need to set aside time to write your words and most clients take around 1-2 weeks to do this using my web copy resource.
Some clients prefer to receive feedback on their words, and others prefer full copywriting.
Got Art That Deserves a Proper Online Home?
Tell me about your art business and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours *during business hours).
