Learn how SM&Co designed a custom website (without a brand!) for an author using the Squarespace platform.

The Chill Foundation, the non-profit foundation started by Burton Snowboards' founders Jake and Donna Carpenter, is an amazing organization. They have locations all over the country and engage at-risk youth in leadership activities through boardsports, including snowboarding, skateboarding, stand-up paddle-boarding and surfing. 

Ages ago, I worked for the City of Portland, and one of my projects was public relations and promotion of the city's skatepark project (which Portland has, sadly, let go by the wayside). This was one of the most gratifying projects I worked on during my time in the public sector, so it was awesome getting back to a subject I'd been passionate about so long ago. (Fun fact: my last day on the job at the City, then Mayor Tom Potter invited me to join him in cutting the ribbon for a new skatepark and I may have cried a little at that generosity.)

Chill had a nice Wordpress based website but it didn't have the storytelling vibe that they needed. It wasn't edgy or boundary-pushing. It worked, it looked nice, but it didn't match their work. My team and I were excited to re-envision what Chill.org could be, complete with a fab hero video (created by Vitae Sessions), vibrant colors, some edgy-feeling iconography, an interactive map and an awesome infographic created by my frequent graphic design collaborator, Ashli Hughes of Cascade Creative PDX.

I couldn't be more excited to launch a new online presence for my client Canby Rental & Equipment. CRE is a three-generation family owned business in my small hometown on Canby, Oregon. It's a business focused on sales, rentals and service of small equipment--everything from Stihl chainsaws to tractors to weed whackers. I've know the now-owner, Matt, for many years, thanks to high school English class and it was a blast taking their website in a brand new direction that you're unlikely to see from another small equipment company. 

Their previous site was functional, but didn't represent their growing business and wasn't mobile friendly (a common story). Also, because the business had grown, it didn't represent the breadth of sales/services/rentals the company offered, nor did it allow them to grow the site as needed (also a common issue). Using a simple content management system like Squarespace was a big step forward for CRE, and I'm excited to see where Matt takes his website and business in the coming years!

Squarespace Website for Maui's Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, a non-profit site with a class catalog, custom fonts and parallax scrolling.

Squarespace portfolio design featured on Design Milk.