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The Data Scientist

Squarespace

The Evolution of Web Design: Squarespace’s Role

Squarespace has quickly emerged as one of the premier platforms in web design, providing easy-to-use tools that enable people to craft professional and visually stunning websites quickly and effortlessly. 

Over 4.79 million websites currently utilise Squarespace – it is undeniable that their platform has had an enormous effect on web design as a field! 

Squarespace has experienced a 100% growth rate in the past year alone, with revenue of £300 million. This growth can be attributed to their user-friendly interface and extensive features catering to beginner and experienced Squarespace website designer.

The Dawn of Web Design

Back when the internet was new, website design was very basic. The pages looked plain with few colours or pictures. Designing a site took a lot of work, coding each part by hand. Only tech-savvy people could build websites.

A lot has changed since then! Now, there are tools to help everyone make beautiful blogs and pages. Squarespace is one of these tools. It lets you build a site without coding. You just point and click options in an easy-to-use editor.

Squarespace came along as design became more important. People expected sites to look nice, not just give information. Websites had to stand out and be enjoyable to use. Squarespace made design possible for anyone. 

You could add colours, layouts, images and more with just a few clicks. This helped more groups and companies get online and share their message. Squarespace played a big part in bringing website design to all.

Squarespace vs. Web Design Company: Which Is Better? 

Deciding between using Squarespace or hiring a web design company depends on various factors and your specific needs. Let’s compare the two options:

  • Cost

Regarding cost, Squarespace is often more affordable than hiring a web design company. They offer a range of individual-use plans starting at around $16 monthly. 

A web design company may charge thousands for an initial site build and hundreds per hour for updates. Squarespace provides complete sites and ongoing support for one low monthly or annual fee.

  • Customisation

A web design company may have an edge for customisation since they can fully tweak every aspect. However, Squarespace gives enough options for highly customised websites. 

You can choose professionally designed templates or start from scratch. Advanced users appreciate Squarespace’s code view for further changes. But for many, the big plus is that Squarespace empowers customising a site without coding skills.

  • Technical Expertise

Squarespace shines when you need more than technical skills. Their drag-and-drop interface allows anyone to create beautiful, high-quality sites without coding knowledge. Pre-built templates eliminate design guesswork so that you can devote energy to your content instead of layouts. 

A web design company typically offers more technical expertise since building websites is their core business. Their developers have skills in complex coding, backend frameworks, and responsive design implementation. 

  • Time and Resources

Creating a site from scratch with a web design company requires a significant time investment with scheduled meetings, approvals and multiple rounds of revisions. This process can stretch for months.

Squarespace allows non-designers to go from blank pages to live sites within hours through an intuitive interface and pre-designed templates. Squarespace saves considerable time and effort for those wanting a fast and easy solution.

  • Ongoing Maintenance

Ongoing maintenance is where Squarespace really shines over using a traditional web design company. 

With Squarespace, simple tasks like adding pages and changing photos or text on your site can all be done in-house at any time without incurring extra fees. Minor design tweaks and updates are also self-service. 

Only major overalls would require reaching out to Squarespace support. A web design company charges hourly rates for any site work, big or small. This makes Squarespace a much more affordable option for the long-term management of a self-sufficient website.

  • Support and Assistance

Squarespace provides comprehensive support through its ticketing system, help forums and detailed documentation. For more complex problems, phone and live chat assistance are also available. 

A web design company may have sparser self-help resources and charge additional fees for support requests beyond basic questions. However, companies can provide more customised technical help tailored directly to the site coding.

The possibilities of the implementation of artificial intelligence.

The Future of Web Design with Squarespace

Web design continues to change quickly each year. Sites now look great on phones and tablets, along with computers. 

In the future, they may look different on screens we don’t even have yet. More people will also connect online through new technology like augmented reality. 

Squarespace works hard to keep up with all the changes. Their software will keep getting better at helping anyone build awesome-looking sites that work anywhere. The sites may use moving pictures or interactive features we can’t imagine now. 

Squarespace wants everyone to have tools that allow their creative ideas to come alive online, no matter what happens with web design trends. Their goal is to empower all people to share their stories for many years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the evolution of web design?

Web design has evolved from simple text-based pages to complex responsive designs using graphics, video and more. Early sites were basic, while modern designs are highly visual and interactive.

What are the generations of web design?

The generations include: 

  • Static text-based pages
  • Introduction of images and visual design
  • Dynamic content and databases
  • Responsive mobile-first approaches using CSS frameworks

What is the role of web design and development on the website?

Web design and development play a crucial role in creating websites. They are responsible for a site’s look, feel, structure and performance, significantly impacting the user experience and business goals.

Conclusion

Website design has come a long way since early plain web pages. Thanks to tools like Squarespace, anyone can make beautiful, enjoyable sites. 

They don’t need special coding knowledge anymore. Squarespace helped lead this change by creating software that anyone can use. More people and groups can get their message out there because of companies like Squarespace. 

Design is available to all, no matter their tech skills. Squarespace played a big part in the evolution of web design to what it is today. This helps more people connect and share essential information in fun, colourful ways.