A tattoo studio in Roswell, Georgia, running on a blog-style Squarespace site. Onboarding a new client meant scattered forms and manual follow-up, galleries were maintained by hand (removing an artist meant hunting down every image), and the site couldn't filter the flash library or show portrait photos and video properly.
Results
- Typefaces — 3 → 2
- Final design — approved, 0 changes
- Platform — Squarespace → Shopify
- Gallery upkeep — manual → automatic
- Booking CTA — on every page
STEP 01
Start with the front desk
The original goal was to digitize and automate onboarding for new tattoo clients. The booking form became a guided flow: pick an artist and see their photo, style and budget range to confirm the match, then describe the idea, all in a few clear steps instead of one long scroll.
After submitting, people get a next step instead of being sent back to the start.
Visual reference: booking flow
STEP 02
First, refine what they had
Round one kept the studio's existing typography and fixed how it was used: a warm dark base, lighter sections for breathing room, and accent colors (turquoise, yellow, pink) saved for CTAs and highlights, plus readable link colors where gold on dark had failed contrast.
Visual reference: round one
STEP 03
Then the studio brought its own palette
Mid-project, the client came back with a new palette and fonts, put together with the help of AI. Instead of pasting them on top, I used them as the reason to restructure the whole site into one cohesive system: cream and ink, one tattoo red for action, Libre Baskerville for headlines and Source Sans for everything else.
The result looked like a proper web identity instead of a blog with a theme. The full redesign was approved with no changes requested.
Visual reference: new palette & type
STEP 04
Translate an artist's eye into web principles
The most rewarding part. Tattoo artists think in styles, so the site does too: the Styles page is the "start here," leading people from a style to the artists who do it best and then to booking.
Cards turned vertical because tattoo photos and videos are portrait and mostly seen on a phone. The artists sit in a 4-column grid to cut the scroll, and filtering stays centered and simple.
Visual reference: styles & artists
STEP 05
Galleries that keep up with the studio
Each artist gets a bio with two kinds of gallery: by style, and by project for big pieces told as small case studies. Booking buttons appear mid-gallery, breadcrumbs keep people oriented, and the structure lets the team add work without a developer.
Visual reference: artist galleries
STEP 06
More ways in: flash, events and jobs
A flash library people can filter by theme and buy, an events page where guests RSVP and past guest artists stay live, and a jobs hub for support staff, guest and resident artists, each with its own application.
Visual reference: flash, events & jobs