Dot McChesney

Learning Curves

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If the last post was all about momentum, this one is about patience.

As I’ve started diving deeper into the redesign work for Big Brothers Big Sisters, I’ve run headfirst into a big learning curve: working within the constraints of Squarespace.

When I first jumped into this Squarespace redesign, I fell for the “drag-and-drop” myth. It sounds so simple: pick a template (but only if you like Roseti), move a few boxes, change colors, and hit publish.

But as I’ve dug deeper into the specific goals for this project, I’ve hit the reality of creative constraints. I’m learning quickly that this will be more about problem-solving within a set of rigid boundaries.

My biggest challenge right now is learning how to push against Squarespace’s structure just enough to let the heart of the BBBS mission shine through, giving organization and simplicity without breaking the mechanics that keep the site functional. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit obsessing over each page and navigation change, realizing that “simple” is actually very hard to execute.

I’m discovering that improving an existing framework is a completely different beast than starting from scratch. You have to respect what’s already there while having the courage to try to change what isn’t working.

Current status: Arguing with a footer that refuses to shrink. I wanted a minimalist look; the template wanted ‘extra-large.’ Guess who’s winning? (Hint: It’s not me.)

Comments

2 responses to “Learning Curves”

  1. Leah Avatar
    Leah

    I feel like I ran into similar problems experimenting with different “drag and drop” website builders. It appears to be simple, except when you aren’t using the theme that that site already is using. How did you go about getting around this theme? Did you use extensions?

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    1. Dot Avatar
      Dot

      In the newest version of Squarespace (7.1), the ‘templates’ are actually just different skins on the exact same skeleton. You aren’t truly switching themes; you’re just rearranging the same set of blocks and tweaking the ‘Site Styles’, which is about all the platform allows. Unless you are perfectly happy with their default spacing and alignment, you’re in for a fight.

      To get around this, I eventually had to stop looking for a new template and start treating the page like a blank canvas. But even then, you’re locked into their ‘Fluid Engine’ grid, which is surprisingly rigid. It took me a while to realize that the only way to get a different layout was to delete entire sections and start over, simply because the system doesn’t allow for a true template swap, they really only offer one – Roseti. Even when starting over and adding new sections, the section sizes are locked in and very large. Small is still too large when working with their grid system that requires a certain number of rows.

      I also looked into their ‘Extensions’ to see if there was a design fix, but those are mostly limited to e-commerce tools like shipping and sales – and almost all of them come with a recurring fee after the trial ends.

      Ultimately, I wouldn’t recommend Squarespace for a project like this. It’s costly. It’s rigid. I feel like I’m putting in a massive amount of effort just to make minimal changes. For an organization like BBBS that needs simple, effective, and often updates, this platform makes the process much harder than it needs to be. Unfortunately, during our meeting they expressed not wanting to move the domain. I will just need to make a very good handbook of how to work the site for them. In the future, I’d choose Wix for drag-and-drop or WordPress for its more creative control.

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