Launch Day for Chouteau County Library ~ New Semi-Custom Website
I’ve been a long-time patron of my local libraries. It’s one of the first places I go to connect with my new community after a move. They are always welcoming, so helpful, and almost always help me make a connection with a local homeschooling group. When Emily Wicks approached me with the opportunity to update the Chouteau County Library Systems’ “outdated and not-user friendly” website, I was thrilled to give it a go.
The project was driven by the desire to update the website to showcase all three branches and highlight their digital resources and upcoming events. Their current site was several years old and was not mobile-friendly and really difficult to update WordPress site. I build the new site on Squarespace 7.1 using the new Fluid Engine Builder. Fluid Engine took a few weeks to get used to as it uses a grid rather than a column layout and can optimize the site for mobile also.
Here’s what Emily had to say about the project:
“I met Brenda Thorpe as a patron of our local library. On Instagram one day, her shop, Sisu Site Shop, came up as an account to follow. I checked out her site, sites she had designed, and then reached out to her for more information. She was local and I appreciate supporting local businesses. When I contacted her she was prompt and warm in her response. After filling out the initial questionnaire, she put together a mood board that blew me out of the water. From a very poorly explained, foggy vision that I muddled through, she was able to put together a striking color palette with fonts and graphics that absolutely capture the heart and soul of our library system. She gently guided me through the entire project, providing enough support and gentle nudges to eventually get us over the finish line. She never expressed annoyance with me in person or through electronic communication. I never dreaded opening an email, seeing her name on my phone, or when she visited the library with her kids. I truly and deeply appreciate the work that Brenda accomplished creating the amazing website that she did. Thank you!”
Choteau County Library -
Multi-Branch Community Library
+ Events Center
Semi-Custom Website Design
Design Direction
After looking at inspiration websites and delving into their ideal client profile and goals, we very quickly found our design direction. We updated the look from forest green and brown to crisp and clean white with Prussian blue accents. The main branch building is a beautifully build brick Carnegie Library. I want to capture the beauty of the architecture and the welcoming feeling I had every time I entered their doors.
Moodboard
Website Design Elements
One of the first design elements we chose was to use a rounded rectangle to create a parallelogram-like button shape and mirrored the same shape with many of the images as well as the new text block background feature. The Prussian blue buttons change from fill to outline on hover and vise-versa for extra impact. This was easily done with the new Fluid Engine builder that Squarespace rolled out earlier this year.
Homepage Design
The previous site had only a few photos that were inconsistently sized and minimal information about each branch. For the new website, we really wanted to showcase each branch and feature their upcoming events. Emily hired local photographer, Montana Marie Photography, to take brand photos of each branch. They turned our amazing and added so much color and interest to the website. The homepage plus each branch page ends with a section featuring all three branches with buttons to learn more about each branch.
The Our Branches learn more buttons, main navigation, and footer links all take you to the branch-specific pages.
Website Features
Customized forms
Custom Brand Photos cropped & optimized for website use
Upcoming and past events feed on the homepage and branch pages plus
Dedicated Events page
Instagram feed
Trustee & Foundation pages designed for easy updating with agendas & minutes
Plus Behind-the-Scenes bonus pages including:
Master website template for the client to use to build new pages
Custom video training page
Design Style Kit
Custom 404 Error Page
Layouts for Legal & Policy Pages
Linktree-style Instagram landing page
Each branch-specific page highlights the hours, phone, and address for that specific branch. Moving down the page you’ll find the services available, branch-specific events, featured rooms/areas, meeting rooms where available, and staff for each individual branch.
Additionally, they asked for an integrated events page and an easy way to update both meeting agendas and minutes for their trustee and foundation pages as well as policies on the policy page. The biggest challenge for the librarians will be setting aside time weekly to update all the upcoming events. We provided training videos for all of the features they will be updating regularly as well as those that will only be updated occasionally. In either case, they’ll be able to watch the 5 min video that provides all the details to make all the updates themselves with confidence.
We also linked to the Montana Shared Catalog website which houses the patrons’ accounts and the library’s searchable catalog. The website went live without a hitch. We’re so excited to have been able to work on this project and create a clean, professional online space to highlight all the resources the libraries have to offer!
“A huge thank you to Brenda at @sisusiteshop for her vision, guidance, and never-ending patience during the process of a poorly explained idea to this beautiful finished product.”
I hope you love this project as much as I do. If you or someone you know is in the market for a new or updated website please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d love to learn more about you, your business, and your project!
Check out more of our recent launches.
Recent Launch Day Posts
If you are looking for even more inspiration check out my color palette series.
Color Palette Collection Series Posts:
Color Palette Inspiration | Architecture Collection
Color Palette Inspiration: Columbia Center
Color Palette Inspiration | Early Spring Collection
Color Palette Inspiration: Painted Hills
Color Palette ~
Early Spring Collection
Need inspiration for your new brand or website?
I hope these color palettes inspire you in your work and in your anticipation of spring and new beginnings.
Sign up to get the Guide!
Looking to up your Squarespace game? Check out the latest new features here:
Squarespace New Features Series:
Squarespace New Features Spotlight: Hosted Background Video + Video Pages
Squarespace New Features Spotlight: Auto Layouts
Squarespace New Features Roundup: Fall & Winter 2021-22
Are you just getting started on your website journey? Here are a few free resources that will help!
Building a new website?
5 things to do before you start
Need help getting organized and inspired to build a new website?
This quick guide will get you started!
Website Photos & Graphics Guide
Need a little help getting your photos ready for your new site?
Grab our freebie now!
Know someone who could benefit from this article? Please share it with them:
Hej! Thanks for stopping in! Sisu Site Shop is an online business strategy + custom brand and web design studio. We sell Squarespace 7.1 templates, offer VIP Days for brand + web design + Dubsado setups for small businesses including Artists, Educators, and Hospitality Professionals. We serve clients worldwide from our current home base in Montana. We help you start, organize, and modernize your business, brand, and website so that you can sell, serve, and stand out online. If you have a project in mind we’d love to learn more about it!
When you’re ready here are three ways we can help you:
Template Shop & Semi-Custom Website Design: Our custom Squarespace 7.1 templates provide a professionally designed foundation for you to build upon and customize! You can even upgrade to a semi-custom service and we’ll customize the template with your brand and photos.
Online Business VIP Day: Our Online Business Intensive can help you create a strategy, build a simple website, or knock out admin to-dos!
Custom Brand Identity, Website, & Automation Design: Truly elevate your online presence & processes
for Squarespace 7.1 & Dubsado. We will partner with you to craft a brand & website you can’t wait to share!
We also have many tips and resources about strategy, design, and starting an online business. If we were chatting face to face, we’d offer you some tea and invite you to hang out for a while. Please consider this invitation to explore our site and learn more about our journey with the same intention!
When you’re ready to start your journey, build your business, and find your freedom, fill out our application to get started!
