Squarespace and the Forward Festival are partnering in our join mission to empower creatives, providing inspiring talks and useful tools for their design-driven, all-in-one website-building platform that simplifies building an impactful online presence without coding. This collaboration is devoting itself to unleashing creativity, enabling artists and designers to beautifully showcase their work and grow their digital businesses effectively outside the confines of social algorithms.Together, we want to inspire participants to express their unique visions online and thrive in the digital landscape.

 

Squarespace will present a total of three talks on the Main Stage and Forward Stage to not only provide u insights on upleveling online presence for clients and customers alike, but also offering tangible advice on how to leverage Squarespace to build a steady and engaged community beyond social media.

 

Main Stage

Stephanie Specht presented by Squarespace

 

Stephanie Specht, an independent graphic designer based in Antwerp, who truly manifests the spirit of creative freedom and reinvention. Whether she’s working on small projects or large-scale commissions, Stephanie’s approach is guided by a desire for change and personal growth. In her upcoming talk, Stephanie will discuss the crucial role that experimentation, self-initiated projects and studies have played in her career. Emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself, she will share insights into how platforms like Squarespace have supported her in maintaining her independence and showcasing her true self to the outside world. She will present three key projects – both commissioned and self-initiated – that illustrate her journey and values. These examples will show attendees how Stephanie uses her freedom to constantly reinvent her creative identity.

 

Forward Stage

Nicole Paulus presented by Squarespace

 
Nicole Paulus is a Berlin-based writer and Squarespace website designer with a dedicated passion for supporting a diverse range of clients including yoga teachers, therapists, non-profits, artists, musicians, conscious business owners, and social entrepreneurs. Over the years, Nicole’s career has seen a variety of unique roles – from photoshopping nipples to editing dog food labels, and even driving Snoop Dogg around. However, her core expertise lies in content writing, editing, and conscious website design. In her talk, Nicole will give insights into the exciting world of building authentic online communities, demonstrating the power and versatility of Squarespace as a foundational tool. She’ll share her learnings and strategies for leveraging Squarespace’s features to create a vibrant, engaging community that resonates with the core values of its members. Nicole will guide attendees through the essential steps of designing user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing websites that not only attract but also retain a dedicated following.

 

Art by Oums presented by Squarespace


 
Oumaima Choua is a self-taught artist whose hyperrealistic portraits deep dive into the human psyche. Using graphite and charcoal, her preferred mediums, she creates large-scale works that not only capture emotions and thoughts of her subjects but also convey the profound essence of human experiences. In her upcoming talk, Oumaima Choua will share her journey as an artist, highlighting how she has balanced building a robust social media following with developing a strong website presence independent of algorithms with Squarespace. She will discuss the challenges and triumphs of connecting with an audience in an authentic way that transcends digital constraints, offering insights into maintaining creative integrity and personal connection in the digital age.
 

Image Credits:
© Nils Leon Brauer, 2024
© Stephanie Specht, 2024
© Squarespace & Nicole Paulus, 2024
© Oumaima, 2024