I’ve been showing off this branding and web design project on Instagram, but it launched a little over two months ago and it’s about time I shared an in-depth post on the process! I’ll be sharing all the details here on this project — a modern brand and web design for a premiere hair salon in West Michigan, Blend Salon & Suites.
Some background
I’m always extra honored when I am reached out to by business owners in my home state of Michigan. And Emily is no exception! Her West Michigan salon opened its doors at the end of 2024 and is an absolute luxe self-care dream. I had so much fun revamping her brand into something unique, modern, and feminine that speaks directly to her ideal clients.
The goal
Emily, founder and stylist at Blend Salon & Suites, reached out to me when she was looking move from an independent hair stylist to owning her own salon. She already had a Squarespace website and a logo, so I had the challenge of building off of her existing vibe and creating a modern brand and web design that were unique, but still aligned for this new venture in her career.
PSSST. If you just have a logo for your small business, you’ll want to read this blog post on why you need comprehensive brand guidelines. Thank me later!
Emily’s target client was extremely well defined — she even created client avatars and gave them names, ages, jobs, and life stories. This personification of your dream client is such a great idea for business owners developing their brand identity! Without giving it all away, here are some of the descriptors of the target audience (both hair salon clients and stylists to join her team):
Dream Salon Client
Name: Megan
Hobbies: girly dates at local restaurants, fancy cocktails, reading, slow nights
Aesthetic: Simple, but boujie
During her hair appointments she loves to catch up, then spend her processing time catching up
on work or emails. She loves leaving the salon with fresh curls that last her a week and
prebooks out two appointments to make sure she can get in when she wants.”
Dream Stylist to add to the Blend Team
Name: Sarah
Age: 27
Sarah has worked hard behind the chair and is ready to be her own boss. She is cute and trendy, newly married and looking to buy a house. She has a college degree and is interested in learning more about the business side of the industry. She loves the downtown atmosphere and clientele that comes along with it.
Mood Board
Keyword list
Simple
Elegant
Innovative
Luxury
Dedicated
Chic
Polished
Sophisticated
Modern
Confident
Clean
Branding
The branding for Blend Salon & Suites is bold and eye catching, but still approachable and very minimal. I created a feminine color palette that would speak to her ideal clientele, but we ended up using mostly neutrals and black to emphasize an editorial, magazine-inspired look. I also created several salon-inspired illustrations as daintier accents to the bold and minimal branding.
Website
Although my typical web design platform is Showit, I offer Squarespace web design to my clients who are already comfortable using Squarespace’s interface and don’t want to switch over. This is the most creative I’ve ever been able to be in designing a Squarespace website, and I loved the process.
Brand photos are essential to a cohesive and on-brand website, and Emily’s brand photos are the star of the show. They really nail the modern, sophisticated, and editorial vibe that we were going for, and made the perfect pair with her new brand.
The goal of the website was to be informational and provide credibility for her new business. Design wise, we wanted to make it look like a chic magazine, but still modern and approachable. I think it accomplishes just that! Her refreshed look has attracted new clients and helped ensure the launch of her physical salon was a success.
Take a look at the live website here!
Here’s a testimonial from the founder herself:
“WOW! I am SPEECHLESS at how wonderful Maddie was to work with. Not only did she customize a package for me based off my specific needs, but she was so quick to respond, thorough in all aspects, and even gives tutorials for when I need to make updates to my website. I could not be happier with her organization and work. I’m so impressed with her talent and how seamless everything is. I have already recommended her to all my small business friends. Its difficult to balance quality/price in a small business website – but Maddie was worth every penny and within price range. Her value exceeds the cost. Thank you so much Maddie!”
