Art Studio Orbit
Tory Smith Ceramics, pilot project
I designed and developed a portfolio website system to help artists present their work more professionally, communicate their voice clearly, and increase visibility with galleries and collectors.
Website hero photography should use editing and composition to reveal the artwork’s personality while preserving its authentic character.
- Art Studio Orbit was created to help non-traditional artists gain visibility online
- Supports web presence, audience growth, and future promotion or sales
- Combines my arts background with community-focused design
- Role: UX/Web Designer & Consultant
- Client: Independent Artist
- Platform: Squarespace
- Focus areas: Professional artwork presentation, user journeys, story-telling
The Challenge
Unlike everyday shoppers, collectors often need deeper context before taking action, including the artist’s story, process, materials, scale, availability, and credibility.
The artist needed a professional online presence that could do more than display images.
The site had to communicate credibility, support discovery, and help the work feel ready for galleries, collectors, and broader public visibility.
- The site needed to reflect the artist’s identity without feeling overly generic
- Artwork had to be presented clearly and protected for web use
- Messaging needed to sound authentic while still supporting professional outreach
- The structure had to help visitors quickly understand the artist and the work
- The final site needed to be easy to maintain inside Squarespace
Audience clarity · Professional credibility · Content strategy · Easy maintenance
What I designed
- Designed and developed the site in Squarespace, using the CMS to create a polished, easy-to-update experience
- Added a custom favicon to strengthen the artist’s online identity and create a more finished brand presence
- Created wireframes and design flows in Figma to shape the site structure and user journey
- Clarified page structure and messaging so visitors could better understand the artist, the work, and the purpose of the site
How I advised
- Identified a simple mobile photo editing workflow so the artist could prepare consistent, Instagram-ready images independently.
- Helped draft a stronger artist statement and works descriptions that balanced authenticity with marketable language
- Advised on best practices for sharing professional artwork photography
- Researched professional artist marketing apps and platforms to help broaden her audience
I advised my client to use Snapseed because she stores her artwork images on her phone and needed a simple, reliable way to prepare them for Instagram.
Visual Polish & Launch Support
LEFT Original photo RIGHT Photo prepped for Selected Works page
- Optimized artwork photography in Photoshop for web and promotional use
- Provided guidance on accessibility and SEO to support discoverability and usability
- Helped shape a professional, market-ready site that could better support outreach to collectors and galleries
- Continued consulting on digital presence as the artist’s needs evolved