Only good choices

My website is built using Squarespace. I’ve tweaked the code in lots of small ways, but the foundation of the site — and its design — is a Squarespace template.

Here’s what I value: all the default design choices that Squarespace offers are good choices. The platform is built with thoughtful constraints in mind; whether you’re an expert or not, you can put together a website that looks professional.

The experience is akin to, “Here are six different ingredients. Choose one. Any of the six will work well; it’s just a matter of preference.”

This is in contrast to other tools and environments where the user has an infinite number of choices. Those open-ended workspaces are perfect for designers who have good taste — not so good for a layperson who wants to build something but who doesn’t have the skills or judgement to know what will work and what won’t.

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Generous design: creating systems and platforms that afford creativity, but also set high-percentage odds that users will end up with something that works well.