New ecommerce entrepreneurs are not typically software engineers or graphic designers. Many online stores therefore look alike, since founders, as skilled as they are, rely on basic templates.
Content management systems and ecommerce platforms provide flexible and customizable theme options, but most require development or design expertise.
Some platforms — Shopify and others — allow users who can write code to manipulate themes to a single pixel. Conversely, exceptional site design tools such as Webflow don’t require code but still have a steep learning curve with complex Figma- or Photoshop-like interfaces.
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Squarespace
Entrepreneurs may not think of Squarespace when opening an online shop, but I recently worked with the platform and concluded two helpful features — Blueprint AI and the grid-based editor — make it a “just right” solution for founders with limited products who want much visual control.
Blueprint AI
Squarespace launched Blueprint AI last year to assist merchants in building a semi-custom website. The AI guides the user through a series of questions, designing the website as it goes.
The process is interactive, real-time, and editable, generating an attractive and branded site.
Squarespace offers templates and a guided design option called Blueprint AI.
Here is a glimpse into the process.
First, Blueprint AI wants to know the name of the business and its personality. I called this example “Latin Quote Art Shop” and chose the brand personality as “Bold,” one of seven options.
- Professional
- Playful
- Sophisticated
- Friendly
- Bold
- Quirky
- Innovative
Next, I selected sections for the home page and chose each layout. My Latin quotes example will have an introduction and a product area, among other sections.
Users can add pages during the guided Blueprint AI design or later.
It is easy to add pages after Blueprint AI builds its initial design. For example, I could add a “shop” page containing the product catalog and pages for “about” and “contact.”
Blueprint AI offers a limited selection of color palettes organized with labels from the brand personality. This step was disappointing given the capabilities of generative AI, which could easily provide more colors and even suggest them based on text descriptions.
The color palette is limited but easy to use.
Next, I selected a font from a tiny list, confirming again that Blueprint AI is a guided tool, not generative.
The tool, however, becomes part of the Squarespace editor. For example, Blueprint AI surmised my Latin Quotes Art Shop offered art supplies because it recommended the headline “Unleash your inner artist.” But the shop’s purpose was to sell wall art featuring Latin quotes.
Once in the editor, a user can prompt Blueprint AI to generate text.
I then prompted, “Write a blurb about the Latin Quote Art Shop, which sells framed wall art that features famous Latin quotes like “Aut viam inveniam aut faciam” and nine iterations. The AI eventually produced “Let words inspire.”
Squarespace editor
The second impressive feature was the Squarespace editor. In 2020, Squarespace updated the tool and released the Fluid Engine component.
Fluid Engine has many options for colors and layouts, but its grid system might be the most helpful.
A user can select, drag, and resize any element or section of a page and have it “snap” to the grid. The resulting layout will automatically fit desktop and mobile layouts, precisely positioned.
The underlying design grid is simple and useful.
I routinely work in multiple ecommerce platforms — Shopify, WordPress, Ghost, Wix, others. The Squarespace editor is among the best.
The Squarespace editor produces layouts that are both unique and conventional.
Just Right
In short, Squarespace may be a “just right” fit for ecommerce startups needing a lot of visual control for a limited product catalog. The platform’s AI tool and snap-in-place grid are much easier than code-based theme modifiers or complicated editors.
