A month ago, we asked Squarespace users in the DCist universe to come forward and shamelessly plug their website for a feature on our site. Well, it’s time! Here’s our subject on what they do and how, exactly, Squarespace has made it that much more awesome.

Jazmine Johnson is a DC-based artivist and creative specializing in graphic design, photography, and art direction. She hosts her portfolio on Squarespace—check out her work here.

So what made you want to start a website? I’m a design student transitioning towards freelance so I needed an online portfolio to share my work. My friends use Squarespace for various reasons and their respective pages are all uniquely different and beautifully done.

What made you choose Squarespace over your other options? I’ve heard positive reviews about Squarespace and its easy back-end usability. If I was using one layout and decided I wanted to switch it for another, I could do so without losing my place or having to re-arrange my content, which was a huge plus.

Did you have a website before this? I used WordPress before this, but the site looked so outdated. As a graphic designer I need a page that is visually appealing and complements my work. I’d cringe every time I looked at my old site!

What part of your site are you most proud of? Other than putting it together? Ha! I’m proud of how clean and visually appealing it is. My work is organized nicely and usability is easy.

Any features that surprised you? I can password protect my site which is perfect for when it’s under construction and I need to make fixes or changes.

Any features that seem especially suited to your “brand”? One feature I haven’t used yet, but will be useful for me is the Commerce section. I eventually want to start selling prints and designs, so I love having the ability to do it all through Squarespace.

Were you concerned about the cost versus a free service? Yes, I was definitely concerned. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on a nice looking portfolio, but their student option was a life saver for my wallet.

How long did it take you to put your site together? The set-up process was so quick, about 2-3 days. There are a lot of options to choose from and you can switch them out in real-time without losing any content or messing up your current layout.

Have you ever done web design? Were you afraid a site you made would come out weird or unprofessional at all? I’ve taken a few web design classes and struggled, so using a platform that does the work for me is a huge bonus. I knew if I did it on my own, it wouldn’t look nearly as good.

Do you update regularly? I try to add content every month to keep it fresh and engaging. The page is a great motivator to stay creative.

Have you noticed more leads or interest since your site’s been up? Absolutely, which surprised me! My work is more visible to people online and gives me the opportunity to be seen by people I probably wouldn’t engage with any other way.

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