Need To Know What's Possible

Howdy Folks!  I built a SquareSpace site in 2011 and the results were visually stellar! Unfortunately, I had to pull the plug on it due to changes in our lives back then. I'm back now after 11 years, as a retiree and with a revised version of my original idea, but I need to get some idea of what's possible before I can proceed to build my new site. I chose this particular forum because my new idea will center around having a blog. Maybe some of you folks can provide some help or at least point me in the right direction for some help. I'll try to summarize what my ideal Squarespace site needs to be like:

1. Beautiful photography must be a visual draw!  As before, I want to be able to customize to the point where my text colors, frames etc can match the predominant colors in cover photos on my pages (an example I remember from my past site had a field of sunflowers, and the photo was set against a black background and the frame around the photo was a thin box only a few pixels wide but in the same color as the flowers.) The logo for my site also matched the yellow-orange of the flowers. (If my next photograph had something red -- say, for the next month -- I want to be able to change the frame color and logo to the same red as in the photo.)  Is such customization still possible on SquareSpace?

2. I want to have dedicated pages (as many as needed) for different travel locations or local events around my city.  I want to write about these locations and events and be able to place photos where I need them, with text options to wrap around or be to the left or right, etc., of the photo. Is that level of customization still possible with SquareSpace?

3. I want to be able to blog about these travel locations or local events around my city with a dedicated blog page. While I know it's possible to have full blog capabilities with SquareSpace, is it possible to have a blog which stands out visually through photography?

4. I want to have gallery pages (as many as needed) for my photography to serve as my portfolio.  Is this possible?

5. I (eventually) want to be able to have a page of affiliate links if I ever manage to get to that point. Is this possible?

Where the heck do I begin with all this?  Is there any template I should choose to get me closer to what I need to do? I remember from 2011 that where was some customization needed to get my then-template to fill my tall order. Back then, I worked with a tech on a chat line and we hashed it all out. I still remember what my site looked like and how it functioned and I want to build my new site the same way, so I've crossed that hurdle already. I just need a lot of advice on how to begin.  I know it's a lot to ask, but maybe some of you have some ideas. Thanks in advance!!   -- Greg

Everything you ask is possible except for one item in number 1. Frames are no longer an option. The effects are now shapes of the photo, such as corner radius,  and animation. Frames can be added using custom Css as well as drop shadows etc. Gallery pages are available in 7.0 but not 7.1. In 7.1 the emphasis is on portfolio pages with gallery blocks, similar to index pages in 7.0 such as those found in Avenue, the template I still use. I suggest that you take a careful look at both 7.0 and 7.1 before you start. The design platform is very different from each other. You could post what template you used for your original site, it could allow us to better advise you, due to many changes since you built your site for both platforms. 

Since you want put a lot of emphasis on both images and blogging you might want to look at my site since I also put a lot of effort into both those things myself. 

my random views

Hey, thanks much!!  I already wrote a 'book' for my first-ever post, so I didn't want to make it even longer by mentioning that I did use custom CSS  for my first effort on SquareSpace back in 2011.  I got some guidelines from the techs working with me, and it was some trial-and-error, but once I got what I was looking for, it was pretty easy.  I very much appreciate your reply, Sir, and I will definitely have a look at your site!! I never thought I would ever get a chance to return to my original idea, but now that I'm retired, life has made it possible. 

One question: Does '7.0' and '7.1' reference a particular template I should look at?   I really wish I had the information (template, etc.,) that I used in 2011, but I thought the idea was gone with the wind and kept no records. I only realized I could return to the idea only a few days ago when I accidentally 'found' my prototype of the site online, built using a basic free Wordpress site.  I was doing some googling and suddenly recognized my old photos, then realized I was reading my own content. I clicked some more and found the entire site, exactly as I left it, which I still can't believe.  Although it was very different in structure from what I went on to build on SquareSpace, all my categories are there and it's supplying major clues as to how I structured my SquareSpace site. Ha, and it was then I realized the idea was once again viable! 

I see that you are a 'Community Moderator'. Are you the one I should be getting assistance from?  I always believe in using the proper channels, so if I need to talk with someone else, maybe you could tell me who that might be?  FYI, before I set out to actually build, I'm making 'flowcharts' of the structure and menus, just to get a clearer picture in my mind of what I need. My new site will be like my old site, except that I want to incorporate other unrelated subject matter, but still accessible from one home page.  I'm not quite ready to begin building, but will be soon.  Thanks very much, I appreciate your advice and I will have a look now at your site!! 🙂  Take Care!  -- Greg

Hey, thanks much!!  I already wrote a 'book' for my first-ever post, so I didn't want to make it even longer by mentioning that I did use custom CSS  for my first effort on SquareSpace back in 2011.  I got some guidelines from the techs working with me, and it was some trial-and-error, but once I got what I was looking for, it was pretty easy.  I very much appreciate your reply, Sir, and I will definitely have a look at your site!! I never thought I would ever get a chance to return to my original idea, but now that I'm retired, life has made it possible. 

One question: Does '7.0' and '7.1' reference a particular template I should look at?   I really wish I had the information (template, etc.,) that I used in 2011, but I thought the idea was gone with the wind and kept no records. I only realized I could return to the idea only a few days ago when I accidentally 'found' my prototype of the site online, built using a basic free Wordpress site.  I was doing some googling and suddenly recognized my old photos, then realized I was reading my own content. I clicked some more and found the entire site, exactly as I left it, which I still can't believe.  Although it was very different in structure from what I went on to build on SquareSpace, all my categories are there and it's supplying major clues as to how I structured my SquareSpace site. Ha, and it was then I realized the idea was once again viable! 

I see that you are a 'Community Moderator'. Are you the one I should be getting assistance from?  I always believe in using the proper channels, so if I need to talk with someone else, maybe you could tell me who that might be?  FYI, before I set out to actually build, I'm making 'flowcharts' of the structure and menus, just to get a clearer picture in my mind of what I need. My new site will be like my old site, except that I want to incorporate other unrelated subject matter, but still accessible from one home page.  I'm not quite ready to begin building, but will be soon.  Thanks very much, I appreciate your advice and I will have a look now at your site!! 🙂  Take Care!  -- Greg

7.1 is actually just one template, with 18 starting named starting designs. Each one of those can be made to look like any other one with changes to color pallet, layout choices, fonts, etc. That is why there is no option to switch templates once you choose one. 7.0, all templates, even those in the same family such as Brine, all 45 templates can be switched to any other. Not always a good thing to do so, outside of the family but it can be done. You can ask me any questions you wish, if I don't have the answer I can cetainly provide links to folks that just may have them. 

7 hours ago, derricksrandomviews said:

7.1 is actually just one template, with 18 starting named starting designs.

There are currently 146 starting designs on Squarespace 7.1 🙂

Okay Derrick and Paul, thanks much!! Note that I don't quite know how this 'reply' works on this forum page... I tried make a second reply to what you said earlier Derrick, and succeeded only in doubling my original post. I'll get the hang of it eventually!  I posted a comment on your site which I guess you saw if I did that correctly!  Thanks again!! 

On 12/4/2022 at 6:56 AM, paul2009 said:

There are currently 146 starting designs on Squarespace 7.1 🙂

When did that happen? I missed that page. I see now that there is a 7.1 design that looks like just about any 7.0 template. This one  is the 7.1 Avenue I think.   I may have to give it a go. 

  https://nevins-demo.squarespace.com/

I think 7.1 is coming along nicely and I am not that easy to please. Mobile configuration seperate from desktop is a great addition as well as asset management also in 7.0. The latter is a bit hard to use if you didn't name your images but great for deleting duplicate content. Blog post duplication is also a good 7.1 feature. As Paul2009 posted, an unlinked blog makes a good archive, a place to move blog posts you don't on your published page. I discovered the second blog doesn't have to be enabled for it to still work as an archive.