Developing Story: Shelly Morse
From bytes to bites, here’s what makes our developers tick.
Name: Shelly Morse
Current residence: 50/50 Nashville & Miami
How did you get into web developing?
I coded my own site back in 2014 and kept wanting to make significant changes. This led me to Squarespace because of the functionality and ease in customization. I started getting inquiries to work on other people’s sites because they loved how clean mine looked. I blinked my eyes, and next thing I knew, I was a full-time developer.
Favorite WOTW site you’ve designed and why?
Bakit Box! So much to love about this project. The founders are two brilliant women in Chicago who created such a cool concept — a baking subscription model, made easy. On top of that, they were a dream to work with. They let us have true creative freedom, which, combined with some very cool branding, created a website full of flavor and spunk.
Where do you work best?
At home. I’ve been working from home for the past 5 years and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.
Workspace essentials?
Kimera Koffee. A second monitor (god-send). Wavebox to manage all of my different accounts. And my pups, Brody and Cormac wrestling in the background of all of my Zoom calls.
Best learning resources?
Google. There are so many people with knowledge to share — especially in the Squarespace world. Also Ghost Plugins. Even if I’m not using the exact code, I can often combine codes to create cool concepts, and Ghost gives me the power to do this quickly.
Favorite Squarespace feature?
How customizable everything and anything on it is. Squarespace as a templated platform can seem limited to some, but as a developer who specializes in customization, your dream website can come to life with the right coding. And you will still have the ability to edit it yourself — it’s the best of both worlds. I love being able to tweak every detail to give your overall site a truly custom feel.
Best source of creative inspiration?
Listening to people and understanding their personal branding. Every person and business brings more to the table than they think; they bring a unique vibe that drives the energy behind their web build. This in conjunction with design inspiration from different designers and artists helps build a website and creates a complete expression of a brand.
Favorite shortcut or tip of the trade?
Chrome Extensions (like Image Downloader & StyleGuide) or Unsplash. I couldn’t live without them. Also, trust your developer. You’ll likely end up with something cooler than you’ve ever dreamed possible.
What are you binge-watching?
‘Survivor’ has been my go-to lately. I can’t help myself from googling who wins the season before I finish, but it doesn’t stop me from getting invested and yelling at the TV.
Favorite meal?
Hot dogs with anything and everything on them.
What are you hoping for in 2021?
Do less and focus on what I really want to do in life. I’m a hustler by nature so I work really (really) hard on everything I do. I don’t want that to stop, but I’m ready to balance that with my own goals. I want to take more time for myself and the people and things that I love. I know I lose personal vision sometimes because I want to make others happy, so my 2021 goal is to work towards better balance and happiness.
