Mary Scholten
Q What do you do?
“I create websites on Squarespace for solopreneurs, small businesses and creatives.”
What goes into creating a website on Squarespace, you ask? Well a lot! First, I will typically plan the visual aesthetic based on the business — so the colors, fonts, photography and other visual elements. Then I design the actual webpage layouts and create any graphic elements that will go on the pages (e.g. I like to put tasteful gifs and fun animations on my sites, so those need to be created!). When I put it all together on a Squarespace site, I tend to use custom code to make sure that the website doesn’t just look like a template and is as unique as your business. I will use provided photography or find unique, fitting stock photography for imagery on the site. I also will write engaging copy for the website if needed. And we can’t forget that all of this needs to look dazzling on mobile as well! ✨
Once the design and build of the website is complete, I like to make sure all SEO best practices are met (SEO is how search engines like Google find your business). Sometimes this includes setting up a Google My Business account for the business as well, which can be very helpful in gaining clients in certain industries.
Lastly, I make sure that the client then knows how to use their Squarespace site to do basic updates like creating blog posts, updating copy, or adding images. This is so the client can manage their own site on a daily basis without having to pay someone else to!
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I took a roundabout way of becoming a web designer and actually started on the more technical side, studying Computer Science in college 🤓. After college, I wasn’t too keen on becoming a software developer, so I took a job at a small web design and marketing agency. There I learned the basics of web design and SEO best practices. I started building websites on the side for fun, usually for friends, which is how I started using Squarespace back in 2017! I took the ilovecereatives Squarespace Design Course in 2021 which really helped me drill down on my design skills even more.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I love working with small and new businesses that may not have super clear branding yet. I think that a lot of founders who are just starting out don’t have the budget or time to hire someone to just do branding. But I don’t want that to stop someone from getting their work out into the world!
Lots of sites I’ve worked on have only had a logo and no other branding elements set in stone when I began to work on their website. This allows me to not only create a website but also create basically a mini brand guideline for the business with the fonts, colors, tone of voice, and imagery I use on the website.
So although I don’t do a full branding package in the traditional sense, I help small businesses still have a polished, unique website and give them a starting point for their branding.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I am working on a few personal projects including starting a podcast 🎤 and creating a website to help people find local musicians and gigs here in Sydney!
Q What’s your style?
I really like copy that’s a bit over the top but in a cheeky way. Currently, I love big fonts and color. Although, I know every brand doesn’t need all of those elements all of the time. Really I just like having fun when designing a website. If I’m having fun, then I think the final result ends up looking fun!
Here’s a spec site I created that I think really encapsulates this style.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I have done a bit of video creation and editing for personal projects, and I’d love to develop those skills more and do more work with video in general. Especially for Youtube!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
What’s frustrating me is finding other creatives to be friends with! I’d love to be more connected to the creative community in Sydney, but being originally from the US and moving here during the pandemic has made it a bit more difficult to find where all the other creatives are! So if you live in Sydney and want a new friend, hit me up! 😉
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Help with social media! I’m not the best with posting, so maybe a social media accountability person who says, “Hey you need to plan 3 posts for this week. Here are 3 ideas. Do you want me to create them or do you want to?” Or who will tell me, “This post you did wasn’t that great because X, Y, Z.” So someone who is down to give ideas, create sometimes, and critique my posts. Does this exist? 🤔
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could go back to my 22-year-old, freshly out of college self and tell her to focus on what I liked doing and not on what I was told was a good career or skill to develop. At that time, I didn’t think I was creative because I was told to focus on my analytical and math skills for so long 🥺
Knowing what makes you happy and working on those skills, to begin with, is immensely more beneficial and fulfilling than developing skills in something you don’t like, just because it might make you more money, to begin with.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I’d love to talk to an expert designer of any sort (graphic, web, prop, floral) who has been working for themself for a significant amount of time and really dive into their process. Seeing how they approach different projects and why they make certain design decisions and what actual creation looks like for them.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Small businesses, solopreneurs, and creatives anywhere in the world who are in need of a website to promote their services.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
An adorable new cafe up the block with amazing pastries has just opened. They’re getting some foot traffic, but their web presence is not the best. They quickly put up a website, because they knew they needed one, but didn’t have time to put much thought into the design. And their Google My Business (GMB) is not doing them any favors.
This is where I come in! I design a website that transposes the ambiance of their physical location to their digital location on the internet. I take some pictures on-site and add them to their GMB while also making sure everything else is set up correctly. As a result of their website and GMB, they’re getting more customers than ever before!
Q: What is your rate?
The most basic site I create will cost $1,000. But the price is totally dependent on how many pages you need and the complexity of the site. Filling out a new project form on my website is the best way for me to give an estimate based on your unique project.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
The best way is to fill out a new project form on my website. Alternatively, you can send me an email introducing yourself and the project and I will set up a call to go over the details!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Jazz Castañeda - Portrait photographer
instagram: @jazzcast
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I go on walks and take mental notes of all the details I can — the different flowers that are blooming, the outfits others are wearing, the colors of the sunset.
This member profile was originally published in May 2022.