Behind the Design Weekly Series: Choosing the Perfect Website Colors for a Stationery Shop on Squarespace | Episode 8
Welcome back, The Pink Ink® community! This is Behind the Design, a weekly series for aspiring entrepreneurs and creatives where we document the process of building a digital planner business from scratch. We’re following Claudia, a student of The Pink Ink’s Digital Planner Academy®, and we welcome you to implement her weekly strategies alongside her.
Last week covered the final details of the creation process before we transition into the business aspect, which will be started in this episode. Claudia used a CSV file in Google Sheets to merge the dates into the planner and finalized aspects of the creative and technical design.
This week, we’ll be following Claudia as she receives valuable feedback from Shay in revising her planner. Even when the project is completed, there are always things to improve! It’s especially important to get advice from an outside perspective, such as mentors who’ve been through the process. Let’s see what Shay had to say.
This Week’s Goal
In the video, Claudia announces the official completion of the 2024 Creative Flow Digital Planner. Shay reviewed the planner and offered advice on revisions and next steps. It’s been helpful to have an outside perspective on the process as sometimes the designer is too close to pick up on certain aspects that need to be adjusted.
Shay recommended adding padding around the text on some of the buttons within the planner to provide some breathing room– a small detail that could make an impact. She also offered advice on giving an introduction to the planner and personalizing the welcome page by adding photos or going into more detail about Claudia’s business.
Even beyond the planner, Claudia is beginning to focus on where and how the planner will be sold. Shay suggested adding her website to the footer to draw people in, but also as a reminder of the creator of the planner and to fall in line with copyright. There are a few other recommendations that Shay made in the week’s video, but it’s all important feedback that can only enhance the planner from here.
This Week’s Accomplishment
Claudia accomplished a lot this week, just from having an in-depth conversation with Shay about revising the planner. Having an accountability partner or community can provide the support needed to make your planner the best it can be. Not only do they help you stay on track, they also offer ideas that may not have been thought of before.
Claudia and Shay also noticed discrepancies with the dates that were merged from the CSV file, so that’s something that is being worked on this week. There are a few empty rows and gaps within the weekly and monthly pages of the planner that need to be deleted, which will ultimately help with the overall flow and fluidity.
We’re also focusing on the branding portion this week by updating the website. Not everyone will have a website (and if you don’t, that’s okay!), but Claudia has kept her website running for years and it’s in need of some updates. You can learn more about where to sell your planner, whether on Etsy or a personal website, through our Digital Planner Academy®.
Focusing on creating a fresh and exciting brand is important within the selling process, so be sure that your marketplace is progressive and brings in elements of your planner. Claudia updated her Squarespace theme from 7.0 to 7.1 and incorporated her current color scheme. Next week, we’ll dive deeper into website development and strategy, so stay tuned!
Takeaway
We covered a lot of ground today, but the main takeaway of this week is to get feedback from others, whether that’s friends, mentors, or peers going through the design process as well. It can truly mean the difference between a mediocre planner and one that stands out in the market. If you’re working alongside Claudia, be sure to make the necessary revisions to prepare for next week.
As you follow along with Claudia in the design process, we encourage you to reach out for support and guidance from The Pink Ink community. Our mentors from the Digital Planner Academy® are here to cheer you on with each step! To keep up-to-date with Behind the Design, sign up for announcements and our newsletter. We’ll see you next week!
Tools & Resources
Sign Up to Receive Weekly Email Updates
Join us on our weekly series by subscribing to follow the blog for updates! We’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on the series, whether on how it’s helped you, where we can improve, or what you’ve learned from Claudia’s story. If you know other entrepreneurs or creatives who could benefit from this series, share this blog post to spread the word and help someone else. We’re excited to take this journey with you. See you next week!
Connect with ThePinkInk®:
About The Pink Ink®
At The Pink Ink®, we’ve turned our own digital planner business into a successful enterprise that now teaches others to do the same. Shay established The Pink Ink® in 2018 as one of the first digital planner sellers on Etsy and grew it to help aspiring designers to create, launch, and market their planners to create passive income and diversify revenue streams. Within 2 weeks, her store made its first sale, and within 2 months, it covered Shay’s full-time income!
With our experience and knowledge, we want to watch others reach financial freedom in their own lives and experience the benefits of running an online shop for themselves and loved ones. To read our full story, check out The Pink Ink’s About Us page.
About The Digital Planner Academy® Hybrid Program
The Digital Planner Academy Hybrid Program is designed to teach other entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners how to create their own digital planners through design software and real-world advice from mentors. We walk students through the process of creating and selling their own digital product from beginning to end with a goal of helping you reach financial freedom.
Every year, we do updates on our customers’ needs and shifts in online business. In 2023, we turned this into a hybrid program where you not only get access to video lessons, but you also receive 1:1 feedback and support from The Pink Ink® team, whether for general support, design ideas, or initial launch.
If you’re ready to get started in building your digital planner business, check out our blog The Digital Planner Academy® Program - the Best Online Course for Aspiring Digital Planner Business Owners and follow along with our weekly Behind the Design series.
The Purpose of This Weekly Series
What exactly is Behind the Design and why did we create it?
Shay was once an aspiring business owner, so she understands the stressful process of building a company from the ground up. Especially as one of the first in her niche, Shay paved the way for other business owners and picked up valuable skills that she now shares with others. She hopes to ignite creativity and help others do the same.
The best way to accomplish this is by demonstrating how it’s done through a step-by-step process– and what better way than to watch an entrepreneur reach success in real-time? There’s potential challenges that lie in the path of any creative individual – it’s inevitable – but it’s important to overcome these obstacles. Following another designer provides motivation to overcome these challenges, practical guidance and advice, and realistic steps and expectations.
Getting started is often the hardest part, but it’s never too late. In fact, now’s the perfect time! Take this opportunity to take the first step and build your business alongside Claudia. You’ll learn so much through this process, and you’ll reap the rewards of hard work and dedication. Let’s take that first leap together!
Join Us on an Adventure
With a goal to empower individuals to unlock their true creative potential like Claudia is doing, The Pink Ink® team is excited to see where this series leads. We invite you to join us on this exciting adventure and take grasp of the unique opportunity provided. With Claudia and The Pink Ink® members at your side, you have the tools and support to achieve success.
To stay up to date with each piece of the series, you can sign up to receive weekly email updates. We’re looking forward to the insights and creativity that each week offers, and we’re excited to welcome you into our community!
