Z Squared Studio

10/21/2026

You see a logo and think, “I can do that one hour.”

What you see is the finished design.

What you don’t see are the hours of ideas that didn’t work, tiny adjustments, research, experimenting, second-guessing, starting over, and figuring out why something just feels *off*.

Good design can look simple.

Getting it there usually isn’t.

The real work starts with a conversation.

Listening for the words a client keeps repeating. Hearing the excitement in their voice when they talk about certain ideas. Picking up on the things they want, and just as importantly, the things they don't.

Without that, I'm just guessing and guessing leads to way more revisions than actually listening ever would.

You also don't see how many small adjustments happen behind one "finished" design. Spacing. Alignment. Trying something, deciding it's off, and deleting it. That's not wasted time, that's the process.

I don't think good design is really about talent or software. It's about communication. 🗣️

I go deeper into what actually happens behind the scenes before a design ever gets finished in Episode 68 of the podcast. 🎧

Listen here: https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/post/what-makes-good-design

10/03/2026

People actually pay me to do graphic and web design?! That is wild.

Especially because some days I’m still like, what the hell am I doing? 😂

I still feel like that 22 year old who graduated with a design degree and was just doing graphic design as a side hobby.

Except now I’m 35, I work for myself, I'm raising a family and somehow at a place in life that I always imagined being at when I was younger.

09/23/2026

I think most business owners overestimate what visitors are actually judging when they land on your website.🤔

Things like your logo, fonts, or color palette.

But here's the thing, they're not picking apart anything individually. They're taking in the whole experience at once and within seconds, they're asking themselves two questions.

Can I trust this business?🤝

Is this the right business for me?

That decision happens before anyone scrolls past the first section of your website.

Which means what your website actually needs isn't a beautiful logo. It's clarity.

A cluttered layout. Inconsistent fonts. A homepage that doesn't say what you do right away. Any of that is enough to make someone leave, even if the work behind it is genuinely great.

Websites don't need to be perfect. They need to be clear.

I dig into this more in Episode 67 of the podcast ‘’What Is The First Thing You See When You Go To A Website’’. If your website has been feeling a little "off" lately and you can't put your finger on why, this might be it.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/post/what-is-the-first-thing-you-see-when-you-go-to-a-website

09/16/2026

I think we put way too much pressure on the visual part of branding.

The logo. The colors. The website. The Instagram feed.

I’m a designer, don’t get me wrong, I obviously think those things matter 😂

But they’re only 10% of what actually makes a brand work.

Think of it like an iceberg.

The 10% above the water is everything people can physically see: your logo, website, social graphics, all the visual pieces we think of when we hear “branding.”

But then there’s the other 90% underneath the water that no one can see.

Who are you trying to connect with?
What do you want to be known for?
What feelings do you want people to associate with your brand?
What parts of your personality should come through in your brand?

That’s the part that gets skipped way too often.

Because it’s easy to look at your brand or website and think, “Maybe I just need to redesign this.”

But if you haven’t figured out that other 90%, changing the part above the water probably isn’t going to fix what feels off.

Sometimes it’s not the design that needs to change.

It’s what the design is built on.

I talk a lot more about this in Episode 66 of the podcast: “What Is Brand Strategy and Do You Actually Need It?”

If your brand has been feeling a little off lately and you can’t quite put your finger on why, this is a good place to start.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/post/branding-strategy-for-small-business

09/10/2026

These months keep passing by so quickly and August went by in a blur. We squeezed in one more camping trip, threw in some beach trips and had one last round on the water slide before it got packed away for the year.

We’ve officially gotten into the swing of things with school back in session. Well, for the most part. 😂 I’m still adjusting to these scheduled early mornings, which have basically been nonexistent since having kids.

Been working on a lot of one off projects lately, which, to be honest, has been a welcome break from the more extensive website projects.

What I’d really love to work on is some branding!

If you’ve been thinking about your own brand and wondering what a more intentional, cohesive brand could do for your business, send me a DM. I’d love to chat and see what we could create together.

09/08/2026

SEO can do its job perfectly and your website can still lose the client. 👀

Someone can search for exactly what you offer, find you on Google, click on your website…and still leave without ever reaching out.

Maybe there’s way too much text and they don’t know where to look first. Maybe your services are buried three clicks deep. Maybe they can’t tell within a few seconds whether you actually offer what they searched for.

That’s the part SEO can’t fix.

In Episode 65 of Intentional Branding, I’m talking about what happens after someone finds your website and how design can either make that next step really easy or accidentally get in the way.

I also sharing a few things you can check on your own website today. You don’t necessarily need a redesign. Sometimes you just need to make it easier for people to understand what you do and where to go next.

Give it a listen and let me know what resonates.

https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/post/what-is-seo-website-design

05/01/2026

Can I be honest about something?

AI isn’t coming for your job.

It’s changing how you do your job.

Six months ago, people were using AI to write captions.

Now? People are using it to speed up entire workflows.
Even for me, things that used to take hours, like removing backgrounds, extending images, or creating graphics, I can now do in seconds.

But here’s the gap I’m seeing…

A lot of people are either:
•using AI as-is
•or not using it at all

And that’s exactly why AI graphics still feel… cookie cutter.

Because the goal isn’t to let AI design for you.

It’s to use AI as your starting point and then layer your own creativity on top of it.

That’s what I’m teaching on Day 3 at AI Unlocked (May 12–14).

I’m speaking on how to create your own website graphics with AI
so your site actually feels like you, not like a template.

If your website looks fine but feels like something’s missing… this will click.

Free ticket is available, but if you know you won’t have time to watch everything (45+ sessions 😅) in 3 days, the $47 all-access pass gives you lifetime access.

Grab your free ticket here 👇
https://gemmabonhamcarter.com/ai-unlocked?affiliate=zsquaredstudio

04/15/2026

💫 GIVEAWAY 💫 Hey Juneau business owners! I'm giving away 2 spots to my Website in a Weekend Workshop! April 23-24 1-4pm at The Huddle.

Could you edit a website template on your own, sure, but this workshop is so much more!

This is your chance to not only get your one-page website published but actually learn the skills to edit your website yourself so you don't have to rely on a website designer.

My goal is for you to leave with the knowledge and skills to keep building your website if you choose.

You will also have 30 days of email access with me after we launch, bye bye tech overwhelm 👋

And we publish your website just in time for the season, woo hoo!

💫How to enter:
1. Enter your email in the giveaway form at https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/website-in-a-weekend

2. Want extra entires? (Optional)
+1 comment what kind of business you have
+1 tag a business buddy
+1 share to your story

Winners announced April 20 at 7PM
(Winners will be contacted by email)

Feel free to comment or DM any questions you may have, good luck!

Website in a Weekend Workshop in Juneau, Alaska

04/12/2026

95% of my leads come from my website (Thanks Google!).

Not Instagram, Facebook, or other social media.

My website does all the heavy lifting because it answers what people are already thinking.

💙What do I do?
💙Who is it for?
💙How much does it cost?
💙How do I work with you?

You deserve a place online to call your own.

Even when you're not posting, tired, or just living life.

If you've been waiting to get online this is your sign!

Let's get together April 23-24 1-4pm at the Huddle in Juneau and let's build a one-page website together!

Feel free to DM or comment any questions

Go to www.zsquaredstudio.com/website-in-a-weekend to learn more!

04/10/2026

Hey Juneau! 2 weeks left to learn how to build your one page website with me!

If you're wondering what exactly goes into building a one page site it's more than you think. Heres a blog post about it https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/post/build-one-page-website

My goal is to teach you the skills to confidently continue to build the rest of your website on your own, let's do it!

Ill probably run a giveaway soon to give away 1 (maybe 2) free tickets so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Website in a Weekend Workshop
April 23-24

The Huddle
9109 Mendenhall Mall Rd Ste 9
Juneau, AK 99801

Learn more 👇🏼
https://www.zsquaredstudio.com/website-in-a-weekend

Feel free to comment or DM your questions!