WEBSITE DESIGN FOR NEWLY LAUNCHED ART THERAPY COLLECTIVE
Overview
Clare McCarthy began the Chicago Art Therapy Collective to provide experiential art making and mindfulness training to promote the integration of mind and body. She desired a website that would reflect the same holistic and creative approach she uses and also wanted a user friendly site on the Squarespace platform.
Approach
Branding : From the first day that we met with Clare, it was evident that she wanted to make this brand her own. Utilizing inspirations she had come across when envisioning what Chicago Art Therapy needed to symbolize, she returned to the sun and the moon. Our designer captured the characteristics that meant the most to CATC, and we had our logo. Once we were finished we were able to utilize the selected color palette that would help us accomplish our goal of allowing photos of original artwork to pop out from the page and draw in potential clients.
Space: After just a few meetings, it became clear this site would be more than just a landing spot. This was going to be a preview of what clients will experience when they start a partnership with Clare and her team. From the photos of the original artwork and pictures of the space they provide, they wanted to make sure we made this a safe space for all who visit, engage and enter. We accomplished the ultimate goal of highlighting a place meant for deepening personal insight and managing external and internal stressors.
Resource: While the site project was mostly meant to highlight services that CATC provides, it was also meant to be a resource people can utilize to find a safe haven or help when needed. Clare wanted the site to speak to people of all races, ages, orientations, and stages of life by creating a page with dozens of materials for those who need it. This process perfectly fits the ideals and values that Chicago Art Therapy Collective prides itself on.
“Working with Andy and Greg was a pleasure. They were prompt, reliable, and easy to talk with. I felt that they understood where I was coming from and helped me formulate my ideas in a timely way. I fully recommend them without hesitation. ”
Conclusion
This site build gives Chicago Art Therapy a landing spot for the public to discover an alternative form of therapy through art. We were able to beautifully display the services that CATC pridefully offers and the artwork they use to heal the minds and bodies of their clients while deepening personal insight and developing adaptive strategies.
Metrics
Tools
Trello: Used for project management and outlining the design process
Lucid Spark: Used for brainstorming, site map, and wireframes
Squarespace: Website host, domain control, and editor
Canva: Used for quick image renderings
Adobe Creative Cloud: Used for logo and image design
