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The Bemboom Design Template Charts
Not all Squarespace templates have the same features without using custom code. On many of the templates, you’re even locked into having your logo on the side or in the center of your site, so it’s an idea good to start with a template that does what you want.
I’ve created a set of charts to help make this easier. Subscribe to our weekly(-ish) email newsletter to get the charts.
These charts will help us see if a feature or layout that you want on your site is available or not. I’ve broken down the most important and unchangeable features (without using custom code). If you are not super familiar with HTML and CSS, it’s better to start as close as possible to the site you want, as it can get frustrating and it’s possible break your website, if you make a mistake. (Of course, reach out if want a custom website!)
The charts make it easy to start with the right template.
First, choose where you’d like your logo. I’ve created a chart for left-aligned, center-aligned and right-aligned logos. On your chart, mark out the other features that are important to you. An easy way to do this would be to print out the PDF (or print from the chart images following), and star the features you want. This will lead you to your perfect template, or few template families to choose from, or it will show you that all the features you want aren’t available on one template and you may need to make trade-offs or hire a designer.
A few things like a fixed header are pretty easy to add with custom code or are not common requests, so I didn’t include them. But if you KNOW you want a fixed header, add a column or notes to your printout and fill it in with info from the Squarespace charts, and only consider those templates.
Once you’ve narrowed down your templates using the charts below, take a look at the template previews, but more importantly read carefully through the template’s page, like this one: https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/212512738
An example
Let’s say you want your logo on the left. Grab the Left-Aligned Logo chart.
Then think about other features that are non-negotiable for you. You know that you need a sidebar for your blog: mark all of those templates. When you were flipping through the templates, you loved the Grid Index page, so you can mark those. That leaves you with Avenue and Montauk. Take a look at what varies on their chart, then check out their individual template pages (Avenue + Montauk) and take a look at the templates in their families.
Special Exceptions
To simplify matters, I’ve left out a few template families that I consider to be specialty templates. These templates have a layout where the header and navigation need to be on the left or right hand sides. This can be a cool look, and a variation from what you usually see, but there are so few available that if you want this layout, you can evaluate them easily.
Skye Family: Foundry, Indigo, Ready, Skye, Tudor
Supply family: Supply
Wells family: Wells
Also, a few features, noted on the charts, are only available on one template. If you know you want one of these, you’ll have to use the corresponding template.
Parallax Scrolling: Brine
A Site Wide Sidebar: Five
A Project Page: York
A Unique Store Page: Galapagos
A Different Background Image On One Page: Aviator
Have fun!
With a little thought and planning you can “Get Started” confidently! Play around with the demo content on your chosen template to get a feel for it, and then start building!
If you come up against an issue with your template down the line, these features can be altered by a designer, but you’ll need much less help if you start close to your goal.
Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!