My Process for Designing a Bespoke Squarespace Website

A bespoke Squarespace website does not start with colours, fonts, or code.

It starts with clarity.

Before anything is designed, I want to understand what the website actually needs to do. A lot of websites look polished on the surface but still underperform because the thinking behind them was too shallow. The layout may look good, but the structure, messaging, and user journey have not been properly considered.

That is why my process always starts with strategy first.

It starts with understanding the business

Before I design anything, I want to understand the business behind the website.

That means looking at things like:

what the business offers

who it is trying to reach

what the current website is doing well

where the current website is falling short

what the brand should feel like

what action the website should encourage

This stage matters because good design is not just about appearance. It is about alignment. If the website does not match the business properly, it will always feel slightly off no matter how polished it looks.

The goal here is to create direction before moving into visuals.

Then I look at structure before styling

One of the biggest differences between a templated-feeling website and a bespoke one is structure.

A lot of websites are built by dropping content into whatever layout feels easiest at the time. The result is often a page that technically contains all the right information, but does not guide the visitor very well.

Before thinking too deeply about visual polish, I map out what the site actually needs.

That includes:

which pages are needed

what each page should achieve

what sections should appear on those pages

what order those sections should appear in

where trust should be built

where calls to action should sit

what the visitor needs to understand first

This part creates the backbone of the site. When the structure is stronger, the design has something better to sit on.

Then I shape the design around the brand

Once the structure is clear, the visual direction starts to take shape.

This is where I think about how the website should feel.

That might mean exploring:

typography

spacing

section contrast

tone of imagery

button styling

layout rhythm

brand colour usage

overall personality

For me, bespoke design is not about making every website look overly flashy. It is about making the design feel specific to the business.

Some websites need to feel premium and editorial.

Some need to feel bold and energetic.

Some need to feel calm, clean, and trustworthy.

The design choices should support that identity rather than just follow whatever looks trendy.

Then I refine the messaging alongside the design

A bespoke website is not only visual. The messaging matters just as much.

Even a beautifully designed website can feel weak if the copy is too vague or too generic. That is why I think about messaging as part of the design process, not as something separate.

This means making sure the site communicates:

what the business does

who it helps

why it matters

what makes it different

what the next step should be

When the design and messaging work together, the website feels much more intentional.

Then I build with Squarespace in a way that keeps things manageable

One of the reasons I like Squarespace is that it gives a strong foundation without making the site difficult to manage later.

When I build a bespoke website on Squarespace, the aim is not to fight the platform. It is to use it well.

That means making the most of the built-in tools where they work, then refining key areas where the site needs more polish or flexibility.

This might include:

clean layout building

careful mobile refinement

custom styling

section enhancements

small code improvements where needed

thoughtful content placement

The goal is to create something that feels more custom while still being practical to edit and maintain.

Then I focus on the details that make the site feel polished

This is usually where a website starts to feel properly finished.

A lot of the quality comes from the smaller refinements that people may not consciously notice, but definitely feel.

That can include:

better spacing between sections

cleaner button treatments

stronger visual hierarchy

more consistent typography

better image cropping

smoother mobile layouts

clearer calls to action

small custom touches that remove the default feel

These details are often what separate a decent Squarespace website from one that feels genuinely bespoke.

Then I review the site as a visitor, not just a designer

One of the most important parts of the process is stepping back and looking at the website as a real user would.

At that stage, I want to know:

Is the first impression clear?

Does the page flow make sense?

Do the calls to action feel natural?

Is the messaging easy to understand?

Does the site feel trustworthy?

Does it still work well on mobile?

It is easy to focus only on how the website looks, but the real question is whether it feels clear and convincing to the person using it.

That is what helps the site perform.

Bespoke does not mean overcomplicated

A bespoke Squarespace website does not have to be packed with effects or custom features to be good.

In fact, some of the strongest websites are relatively simple. What makes them effective is that the thinking is stronger, the layout is more intentional, the branding feels more aligned, and the whole experience feels more considered.

That is what I aim for in every project.

Not complexity for the sake of it.

Not decoration without purpose.

Just a website that feels clear, polished, and properly built around the business.

Final thoughts

My process for designing a bespoke Squarespace website is really about creating clarity first, then building the design around it.

That means thinking carefully about:

the business

the audience

the page structure

the messaging

the visual identity

the mobile experience

the finishing details

When those things come together well, the website stops feeling like a template and starts feeling like a genuine extension of the brand.

That is what makes bespoke design valuable. It is not just about how different the website looks. It is about how well it fits.