Katie Sears
Katie Sears
Atlanta, GA / USA
Brand + Web Designer
Services
Squarespace Design and Dev, Shopify Design and Dev, Brand Design, Photography
Course Taken
Standout Squarespace, Standout Shopify
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Hi! My name is Katie Sears and I’m a Brand + Web Designer based in Atlanta, GA.
02
Outside work you will often find me working...but I'm working on that.
You'll also find me:
- Reading in the park
- Cooking and drinking wine with my twin sister
- Hanging out with my grandad
- Thrifting online or in person (VIEW)
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But on a typical workday, I like to make the part of the morning where I have my coffee and I'm just doing a little creative work last as long as possible before I check my email. Then I usually interact with humans - clients, fellow creatives, or my sister in the afternoon.
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My day usually starts with making the bed. It helps me feel sane.
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Most of the time I am working on brand and web design. It never stops and I don't want it to. I love what I do.
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What are your first memories of the Internet?
I distinctly remember the dial-up tone on the family computer sitting in a "den" covered in 70's orange wood paneling. And I also have fond memories of playing the Disney Channel online games at my grandparent's house.
07
What is the best part about the process of building websites for you?
Getting to be "Type A" and a creative at the same time. Websites should be predictable to some extent and use patterns to make visitors feel at ease. At the same time, within that structure, a site should be innovative and surprising enough to keep people's attention.
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What is your favorite stretch or pastime in between coding?
I feel that napping is an integral part of the coding process.
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How would you describe your Standout Style in 2-3 words? Minimalist. Modern. Playful.
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Which Standout workshops do you find yourself incorporating most often on your website projects?
Learning flexbox unlocked something in my brain. I use it to customize the header navigation in a lot of my sites. But learning to scope sections so I can preset different layouts for my clients is what I use nonstop.
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What makes your work standout?
I have a photographer on staff.
I have amazing copywriters in my back pocket.
As a designer, I can clear away the clutter and create a site that feels effortless.
Everything that makes it onto my websites serves a purpose.
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What are some of your proudest works you've worked on?
Brilliant Escapes
A client project including brand, web, and photography for a luxury travel planner
We recommended a copywriter for the client. Then we built a brand suite, captured portrait and lifestyle photography, and then brought everything together in a stunning website. We leaned on our tried and true systems — steady meetings, email reminders, and guided client forms to keep a complex project organized.
As far as what I used from Standout Squarespace, sometimes it's hard to recall because Rache really empowers us to be intuitive developers. If pressed, I'd say scoping, responsiveness, and type style setup.
This project was supposed to be a template restyle and we purchased a template from another designer but I learned that I have a hard time with limitations and ended up basically building a site from scratch to fit my desire for an easy-to-edit site.
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What are the biggest takeaways from the Standout programs?
Rache really covers so much ground. She teaches designers to create in their own way and gives them the technical know-how to do it. Standout programs are the highest quality courses I've ever encountered.
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What is your dream website project?
Design for an up-and-coming foodie.
I want to create a site for the next Sohla El-Waylly, Matty Matheson or Alison Roman.
I love food. My twin sis would be doing the photography, obviously, and I'd build a site that was easy to update and visually stunning.
