Designer

How Things Get Done in The Greenhouse

MEGAN FLYNN

I’ve always been inspired by the creative process. Growing up, I was constantly finding new ways to express myself, whether it was designing magazine cut-out collages, putting together mixed CDs for friends, or writing an autobiography in high school, I enjoyed defining myself through creativity.

Devil’s Bridge, Sedona, AZ

Devil’s Bridge, Sedona, AZ

As an adult, my mediums and technologies within which to be creative have changed, but that has allowed me to be even more innovative with expression. I have had many unique and varied endeavors, including publishing a craft beer lifestyle magazine, writing product copy for Nike, designing and producing jewelry and leather handbags, and dabbling in real estate--all of which have given me the opportunity to explore my passions with freedom and vision.

Being a freelance writer and editor lets me use my skills and talents to help others express themselves, their passions, their businesses through words. I love that I get to work in inspired spaces, whether at home, in my favorite coffee shop, outdoors or across the globe while traveling. One of the best aspects, though, is getting to collaborate with clients to bring their vision and goals to life. Oh, and not waking up to an alarm in the morning is pretty great, too.

P.S. Read Megan’s blog post “72 Hours in Sedona & Hike to Devil’s Bridge”


Bipartisan Cafe in Portland, OR

Bipartisan Cafe in Portland, OR

KATE ANDREWS

One of my favorite things about freelance work is the ability to work from wherever feels the most inspiring. I’m currently in a temporary living space and therefore don’t have a real dedicated “office” right now. I like to get out of the house and find a quiet corner of a coffee shop when I need to do some real writing. Even though the surroundings might be a bit more distracting than my dining room table (where I often work from when at home) I like the background buzz of activity to give me a sense of liveliness and energy. When I get stuck or feeling uninspired, I will often scroll Pinterest, Instagram, or even utilize Google search (one of my favorite key-word searches right now is “minimal design”), to get my creativity flowing again. I also am a big fan of the Later.com blog, which keeps me up to date on all things Instagram; as well as DesignWeek.co.uk for more general design inventiveness.


RACHAE PISANO

Inspiration is the foundation for design. My inspiration for design comes from various creative avenues from magazine ads, to color and patterns found in the pages of interior design catalogs. My favorite places for inspiration are the color palettes found during my travels.

The beauty of working remotely is the freedom to create in any space which has allowed me to pull inspiration from new and foreign places. Something as little as the bright color of a door or shape of a metal railing can spur new ideas for a project.

While finding inspiration can come from anywhere, I find motivation must come from within when working as a freelancer. To stay organized and efficient, I utilize planners with reminders as well as programs to track my work. The freedom and flexibility of a freelancer has been incredibly rewarding and motivates me to stay organized and meet deadlines our clients.

Hotel Wiechmann in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hotel Wiechmann in Amsterdam, Netherlands


GERDA KAUKS

What causes creativity to spark, peak or fade? I find my inspiration many ways: browsing through well-designed marketing materials, reading colorful Pinterest boards, paying attention to nature. New ideas can even come from something as simple as a restaurant floor tile. I’m never sure when and where creativity will be sparked, but if I stay open and aware, it’s amazing what the mind captures.

Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ

Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ

When I sit at my desk, staring at a blank screen, knowing all the elements I need to incorporate, I sometimes find myself asking, Where do I even begin, or the exact opposite happens and I can’t stop the ideas and design from flowing. What I’m saying is that creativity is a process, and no two days are the same. Personally, I’m a big planner and I love checklists. I organize my week into specific days. For instance, I have a business development day, accounting day, design day, etc. But, as much as I try to plan, the key is to stay flexible and allow my mind to determine what I am best at today. And at the end of the week my ultimate goal is to make sure that everything I’ve promised to clients has been delivered.

So, as with most things in life, timing is important, a space in which I can focus is vital, and being able to continually put a project down and reevaluate is a crucial step in my creative process. Design is not about how much you can get done, for me it’s about how well I can utilize my talent and design skills to interpret what a client needs to help meet their goals. I also love and value the freedom that freelance design allows me. Being able to work from home or while traveling, and collaborating with my awesome team, feeds my spirit and fuels my creativity. I cherish my work, I appreciate it, and I encourage everyone to find their journey to balance.


Why We Choose, Like and Commit To Squarespace Website Platform

Whether you are in a business startup phase or the “need to up upgrade the look” stage of your website, the Squarespace platform is the right fit for any type or size of business, in any stage. I speak from lengthy experience of working within the Squarespace platform on a daily basis to help my clients reach their business goals.

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WHY SQUARESPACE? 

Designers love it. Clients love it. The more I use Squarespace, the more I realize that the benefits for both designers and clients are very much aligned. Each template is highly flexible, from design elements to functionality - explore the Feature Index HERE and the Marketing Tools HERE. I recommend the platform to all of my clients not only because I love working with Squarespace templates, but because Squarespace is user-friendly enough that my clients feel comfortable navigating the site on their own--client control and flexibility is imperative.

AFFORDABILITY + FLEXIBILITY

I also think Squarespace makes sense from a financial perspective: you get a ton of functionality for the price and hosting costs are extremely reasonable, too. A basic "Personal" website account is $16/month, "Business" is $18/month, and e-commerce shopping cart accounts start at $26/month. About 70% of my clients use the basic website account because it offers all of the necessary features to showcase a modern look and contains easy-to-use strategic functionality. Plus, Squarespace offers the option to stop and start your monthly hosting service at any time.

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WHY USE A DESIGNER?

Though Sqaurespace is user-friendly enough to DIY, I highly recommend hiring a designer who knows the ins and outs of the platform so you can focus on what you do best--growing your business! A designer will be able to match you with specific tools and features and look after your project scope interview. Squarespace offers various video tutorials, which are helpful for anyone interested in building a website themselves, but this takes time. So, think about your business and website goals and assess how much time you have to dedicate to your website--you may find that the cost of a designer is well worth it to allow you extra time and brain space to dedicate to working on your business.

ANALYTICS + SEO

One of my favorite Squarespace features is the Analytics tool. It is included in every site and allows users to track website traffic by number or visits, page popularity, and view website visitors by geography. Additionally, Squarespace offers built-in SEO with options for maximizing search performance, as well as tracking your site's performance via its own analytics dashboard. They encourage and educate you on how to be more visible! Read more HERE

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WEBSITE REDESIGN 

Already have a Squarespace website but need a facelift? Request an overview or proposal from a website designer and if you agree with the scope of work and like their design aesthetic, a designer can easily update the template, look or content. A new or updated website doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg--Squarespace is so designer-friendly that it won't take a good designer long to revamp your website (this depends on client feedback, of course).

In many cases, clients come to me because they've seen a website design they love and want to use aspects or inspiration from that site and incorporate it into their own. I love working with clients at this stage. Finding just the right template within Squarespace allows designers to cater to your vision and business goals on a collaborative level--it’s one of my favorite aspects of being a designer. The creativity should be original to you, your identity, and your brand so it stands out, but a designer can help guide your ideas into effective marketing and design.

 
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IN A NUTSHELL

Squarespace is a user-friendly, self-contained website platform that combines smartly-designed templates with modern features. Using Squarespace (and the right designer!), your website vision can easily become a reality. Feel free to browse our portfolio and contact us at gerda@gdisain.com for a complimentary website consultation.