I am an adapter.
When I discover a tool, I look for all the things I can do with it. If I like a particular feature that I want to use, I challenge myself to learn what it can do, and then seek out opportunities to use it.
There is a danger in that. To a hammer, the screw looks like a nail, so in adapting a technology or tool to a task, I need to be aware of the probability that there are other tools out there that might do the job better.
So, to be an effective adapter, one needs to be willing to change.
That's what led me to switch from building my websites with HTML and CSS templates to using Squarespace.
Squarespace 6, the latest release of the website builder, doesn't look like a powerful tool, but that's the beauty of it.
The designers had one thing in mind when they developed this program, the user experience, and that makes the job of working with a client so much easier for the web designer, process developer, or business consultant, all of whom can benefit from the beauty and simplicity of this approach.
Creating a Squarespace space couldn't be easier.
When you click on the Get Started button, you are invited to select a template, start a free trial (14 days) and then to get a free domain.
This is truly designed for the beginner, but don't think that means there are limits to what you can do. The Squarespace environment is the kind of tool adapters like me love.
It is highly visual.
The entire process of building your own site unfolds as a story in pictures and videos, and it doesn't take long before you begin to see your site take shape.
It is totally flexible.
After working in a template for a while, you might want to see what your site would look like if you switched to a different one. Squarespace lets you preview your content in another design, so you can try before you switch. And if you do switch and wish you hadn't, you can switch back again.
But the flexibility goes beyond switching templates. The heart of the program is the content manager, which lets you add a variety of blocks, from text to images to videos to just about anything you can create from HTML, if you choose to build your own.
It adapts to you.
Squarespace manages the conversion of your website content to fit beautifully on any device, so you don;t have to worry about your images and text being visible on that smartphone or tablet.
It lets you take control.
The biggest complaint I hear from my clients when we talk about their websites is the amount of time it takes to get their web developer to make a change. I am a firm believer in handing over control to the client, and Squarespace is the type of environment that transforms the process of training and coaching the client to be the driver, rather than a passenger on the bus.
That doesn't mean web developers are out of business. It means the business of developing websites has become much more collaborative.
It allows you to grow.
With Squarespace, everyone from bloggers to business professionals can decide how involved they want to be in managing their own sites. Squarespace lets you identify contributors and assign permissions to them, so you can adapt your site to your workflow. With form designing capability, integrated social network sharing and ecommerce, the potential for creating a customer experience that fits your style and vision is limited only by your imagination.
Why tell you all this?
I'm an adapter and an adopter. I have discovered a tool that helps me offer more to my clients by giving them control of their own websites. Surprisingly, those who have the least amount of time find that control liberating. They no longer feel trapped, and their designers, developers, and contributors are more productive.
The world of work is becoming much more collaborative and mobile. Do-it-yourself doesn't mean doing all the work It means taking control. I have found it much more profitable and rewarding to show my clients how to do that and save time and money in the process.