Designing a Business to Fit You with Dreyah Bohlen
Location: Waterloo, Nebraska
Started using Squarespace: 2020
Title: Designer and Creator
Dreyah Bohlen is a Squarespace Expert, Circle Community Leader, and author who balances client projects with education and parenting. The Circle Platinum Partner shares insights on everything from site design and maintenance to social media marketing and search engine optimization.
In this interview, Dreyah discusses the evolution of her web design career, the skills she’s carried with her along the way, and how embracing flexibility, creativity, and play has helped her build a business that works for her life and her family.
What originally drew you to the web design industry, and how did you get your start?
Before I started in website design, I was working at a local brewery doing social media marketing and management. I found that I loved creating and posting social media content and wanted to learn more about the industry as a whole. Luckily, I was able to become a part of the Nerdville team led by fellow Squarespace Expert, Jen Maher, and learned all of the Squarespace ways from one of the best!
As I started taking on projects and clients, I enjoyed the freedom of being able to set my own schedule and have the luxury of working anywhere—especially coming from the restaurant industry where you work nights and weekends. Also, the idea of getting paid to be creative while being able to work with so many different industries is what pushed me to want to do this full time!
What's your favorite Squarespace hack? What about your go-to line of code?
My current go-to hack is using a shape block to “layer” sections, such as by making an image look like it’s sitting on top of two sections to make a site more cohesive. What I’ve learned to do is use a shape block to create a “second section” that’s a different color to allow other blocks to “overlap” a new section without any code!
SquareKicker is installed on every website I build and work on, which only requires a few lines of code to implement.
When you want to take a Squarespace site from good to great, what creative decisions or design elements make the biggest difference?
Any sort of animation makes a website much more elevated. Whether it’s the site-wide animations within Squarespace or adding SquareKicker elements or custom code, the movement not only brings the site to life, but keeps viewers engaged and scrolling (hello, SEO).
I have been using the Scale site-wide animation on a lot of sites lately! It gives a site a smooth, polished look that makes your website feel like an experience.
You’ve built a thriving design business while working from home as a parent. What strategies have helped you find balance?
I’ve learned to be strategic with scheduling client meetings and my work hours. I have to schedule any client meeting that’s longer than 30 minutes in the evenings or on the weekends, and I will usually focus on larger projects at those times as well.
What advice would you give to other designers doing the same?
It’s definitely hard, but not impossible! Find and hold onto whatever adds balance to your life, and get rid of anything that doesn’t. Learning to set boundaries for myself and my business was essential for me. I had to accept that some days I’m more mom and less designer. But that’s okay, because I’m replaceable everywhere else except here at home with my son.
What inspired you to create The Designer Breakbook, and how did you approach making it equal parts fun and informative?
I ultimately created this book for my son, but also for postpartum “me”! I thought, “How cool would it be for him to have an activity and coloring book that his mom made and that was inspired by such a big part of her life?”
After having him, I really needed a creative outlet that wasn’t a big website project, as I was trying to navigate being a full-time work-from-home mom. Putting together this activity and coloring book allowed me to keep my brain busy without stressing about deadlines and frequent client check-in calls.
I also needed people to see that there are so many amazing resources provided by fellow Squarespace designers! So, through creating this book, I found a way to present these things in a fun and design-focused way. This was especially important to me because as a designer, I sometimes find it hard to turn off my brain, so I wanted to offer designers a great way to learn more about the resources we’re provided while taking a break from projects.
You offer social media marketing and website templates. How has your work in these areas informed how you think about and approach web design, client relations, or any other part of the professional web designer experience?
Social media marketing has taught me to think fast, design for personality, and prioritize messaging that connects immediately. I’ve learned that this is mostly true for web design as well, as I strive to create personality-packed websites that help connect my client to their target audience.
Creating website templates has given me a whole new perspective on the web design process. I get to think and put myself into a client’s shoes, which has made me more intentional about the design process and about asking the right questions before getting started on a project.
How do you make the most of Circle membership?
For me, making the most of Circle is all about connection and creativity. I participate in the program not just for early access and perks (which are amazing!), but as a space to get inspired, collaborate, and stay ahead of what’s possible with Squarespace.
Whether I’m testing new features, sharing feedback, or chatting with other designers in the Circle Forum, Circle has been a huge part of helping me grow my skills and confidence as a designer and business owner.
My favorite part of Circle? The community. I’ve connected with other designers who geek out over the same details I do—like the perfect scroll effect or the boldest way to break a template.
Key takeaways
The following are key insights from Dreyah’s interview:
Exploring a creative outlet outside of work can expand your creativity and develop your design skills, thereby helping you grow your business
Balancing parenthood with a full-time web design business requires you to set firm boundaries and be patient with yourself
Being strategic about when you work on larger projects and schedule longer client meetings is key to successfully working from home–especially as a parent
Look for creative overlaps: skills from past roles can strengthen and shape your approach to web design
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers and web design agencies. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
