Extra Touches to Elevate Your (Squarespace) Website Aesthetic

Scroll With Me

Creating a beautiful site isn’t just about functionality—it’s about crafting an experience. Today, I’m sharing some of the intentional design choices I’ve made to elevate my homepage. These ideas blend custom tweaks and built-in Squarespace features, offering inspiration for your own site.

Consider your Background (Colors)
Adding a subtle or bold colored background immediately sets the tone for your site. On my homepage, I’ve chosen soft tones that complement my minimalist aesthetic while creating visual depth. Pairing these with gentle color blocking adds another layer of sophistication.

Typography as a Design Element
Your fonts are more than text—they’re part of your design language. I’ve played with uppercase text to highlight key words and paired this with underlined accents for emphasis. These small variations subtly guide the viewer’s attention. By combining interesting font usage with animation, your text can tell a story while remaining approachable.

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Add Motion and Layers
Animation can bring energy to your site without overwhelming visitors. I’ve added subtle movement to links and images, creating moments of interaction. A split-screen effect on my homepage lets the text remain static while images scroll—a small but impactful detail.

Motion doesn’t need to be complex. For instance, I’ve included a touch of motion in my images, adding life without distracting from the overall design.

Embrace White Space
White space is a cornerstone of minimalist design (and pretty much everything I create) It invites breathing room and enhances focus. Throughout my site, white space balances the elements, ensuring the design feels calm and intentional.

Texture for Depth
Texture is having its moment in web design and I’m here for it! On my homepage, I’ve added a subtle textured overlay with a noise animation. This extra detail creates dimension without drawing attention away from the content. A new favorite feature of mine is using faint quotes layered into textured sections, creating a rich, tactile feel.

A Modern Collage Look
Overlapping images and scrapbook-inspired layouts are on trend. While many designs embrace a busier aesthetic, I’ve opted for a cleaner, minimalist approach to align with my brand. Squarespace makes it easy to create overlapping images in their 7.1 Fluid Engine—an effortless way to introduce visual interest.

‘Bold’ Pops of Color
While my brand leans minimalist, I’ve added bolder (earthy) blocks of color to highlight quotes and testimonials. These accents create pattern interruptions, drawing the eye and slowing the scroll in a world full of distractions.

Custom Touches with CSS
A few custom features add a polished feel to my site. For example, hover effects on my links, horizontal scrolling pages and subtle animated links. These details may seem small, but they contribute to a cohesive, elevated design.

Galleries for Photographers
As a photographer, showcasing images is essential. Squarespace’s gallery features allow you to present your work beautifully, letting visitors explore your visuals at a glance. A well-organized gallery enhances the user experience and encourages deeper engagement.

Bringing It All Together
The key to an elevated homepage is balancing thoughtful design with functionality. From typography to motion, texture, and white space, every choice contributes to the overall experience. These elements don’t need to be complicated—simplicity can be incredibly impactful.

If you’re feeling inspired to refresh your Squarespace site or want help bringing your vision to life, let’s connect. Helping creatives design websites that align with their aesthetic and goals is one of my FAVORITE THINGS to do.

Here’s to beautiful, meaningful design.

Over to You

As always, I love knowing you were here. Please say hello and share your thoughts in the comments below.

xx
Kim

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