Design a website with Squarespace with Allison at Sealevel Agency®
Design Fundamentals
Visual Hierarchy
Readability/Usability over cool design
Photography
Color Palettes and Font Pairings
Develop a Brand Strategy based on your Ideal Client Avatar
Visual Hierarchy
This is the order a viewer processes information on a page and then offers a Call-to-Action.
If you don't know what to show your viewers first – how will they know where to look?
Readability Over “Cool” Design
If it’s hard to read or navigate, it’s been poorly designed.
Don’t try to use too many design elements like colors, graphics, or photos unless it serves a purpose or makes navigation your website easier. If a font or color combination is hard to see, it shouldn’t be used.
Photography
If it’s blurry or out of focus, don’t use it.
Avoid most stock except when relevant. Outdated stock, like two men shaking hands to represent business, should never be used.
If you don’t have any pictures of yourself, you can take some on your phone but only send it to yourself via email, Google Drive or Dropbox.
Only use photos that are relevant to you or your business. Don’t use imagery that’s only figurative (like standing on top of a mountain unless you sell hiking trips).
Choosing Colors and Fonts
no more than three colors
Choose a light, dark, and accent color for your website. Anymore than that will overwhelm the design.
No more than two fonts
Choose a font for headers and one for body text. Anymore than that will confuse the visual hierarchy.
Serif vs sans-serif
Ideal Client Avatar
