Digital Kinship
The ultimate benefit of Squarespace, beyond the beauty of drag and drop (looking at you 7.1), is the beauty of the depths of the Squarespace Forum and the people that contribute to it. Working for an async company, a lot of work happens at odd hours and sometimes it’s a longshot to get a hold of our brilliant teammates. That’s where the heavy players and unspoken heroes of the Forum come in. Repeat names, like tuanphan, have helped troubleshoot the closest to impossible of requests.
This is the power of community. Squarespace appeals to the most stubborn and determined of us, the designers and developers that want to create something that feels exclusively theirs and that they’re excited to show off. The lack of instant gratification, coupled with hours trying to best articulate your desperation, results in a space where success wants to be shared.
I’d be remiss, however, to acknowledge that the Forum is also first to bring attention to any feature falling short of expectations. As a tool, it’s amazing. As a diary, it can lean a bit melodramatic. At its worst, the Forum is Sammi Sweethearty and we’re Ronnie, starcrossed lovers that want the same goal (I think) but just can’t seem to listen to each other. But when the fighting stops and a solution or new feature comes from the chaos, we kiss and make up and continue asking for forms that can handle file uploads.
The connections that come from this constant dialogue help you find those with a similar mindset. You start to see colleagues and recognize repeat teachers, and sometimes those relationships even get carried into real life at an event like Circle Day or at a small agency like Week of the Website. Having an unspoken, shared tenacity brings people together, and the jargon floating around in all of our heads suddenly starts to make sense.
This platform has granted me many opportunities — although I’ll admit my bias leans towards where my paycheck is getting written. I’ve met some of the hardest-working people I know because of the common thread we share. Coworkers stop what they’re doing to help and I readily return the favor, knowing that we’ll do the same dance very soon.
Ultimately, the Squarespace community is one of the most supportive. There are frustrations, yes, but through the thick of it, everyone wants to celebrate a horizontal scrolling gallery or the removal of the active nav lines on the mobile view (not to get too specific). We come together to celebrate the wins and listen to the echo of things that can be improved. We grow, together.
