Getting the website for Taylar Digital up and running was one heck of a journey when I started this back in August 2017. I had heard Squarespace was easier to use than Wordpress (which I use for my travel blog), so I thought that I would just jump right in and learn as I went. This was not the best idea - I ended up changing my template twice.

That meant way too many hours of redesign because I frankly didn't know what I was doing. I buckled down and started looking to the professionals - other solopreneurs who were Squarespace website designers. I used their blog posts and YouTube videos to make my site exactly how I wanted. And the biggest change of all came when I invested in a Squarespace website design course.

And the best part?! The process made me realize how much I LOVED playing around with the design of my site (maybe a littleee too much). It also helped me realize that I wanted to offer it as a service so I could help other budding online entrepreneurs with getting their site launched, without all the stress and hassle.

So, my friends, here is the rebrand behind Taylar Digital.

Step 1: Logo Design

I look back at my first ever logo and it honestly makes me laugh. I designed it in Canva before I knew about branding and graphic design (learn how to create your logo and branding in Canva in 14 days). Once I finished the necessary modules of a graphic design course I bought, I went to work on designing a new logo that, at the time, spoke to me and had the vibe I wanted to give off.

I wanted a logo that was feminine, joyful and professional with a shade of pink and blue colors (navy, teal, sky blue). I loved the idea of a script font for "Taylar" and a sans serif for “Digital,” but was open to variations of script and sans serif between the two words. I was also interested in a floral concept.

So I designed my logo and branding and it served me well from that moment on.

But about 18 months later, I realized how disconnected I felt to my current logo and the floral elements I had picked out. The colors and aesthetic didn’t represent where I was in my business and how much I had matured.

I wanted something more sophisticated, yet still using the same fonts as my previous logo. So I stayed with Myriad Pro and the Silhouetto script font from my previous branding.

Here is a comparison of the old logo (version 2) and my current logo (version 3).

I absolutely love my new logo and feel that it represents me and my business authentically.

Step 2: Branding Style Board

This is the step that brings all the design elements of a brand together. As you can see below, the only items that stayed the same between the two style boards were the fonts.

The old colors that I used to love now seemed harsh and off. And I felt that the navy color was incredibly dark, and although I wanted a blue/navy color in my palette I wanted something brighter and more lively. I also become disconnected from the peach and loved the new pink colors I chose for my brand.

I feel so much more aligned to these new colors and aesthetic.

Squarespace website designer - free guide and checklist (1).jpg

Step 3: Website Design

I wanted my website to be simple and clean, yet colorful using all the colors of my new palette. This worked wonderful with the Rally template. Besides the homepage, I included various other main pages:

About
My Story
Services
Portfolio
Contact
Shop
Blog
Praise

Using the elements of my new style board, I completely upleveled my website. Most pages were refined while others just got a cosmetic upgrade, but every page felt different and much more aligned to me.

As I do with any website I create, I made sure that it was optimized for mobile and tablet as well. I also included the announcement bar feature at the top of my site, giving potential clients guidance for how to get in touch with me.

Below is a screenshot of my old homepage and its updated version.