About Backyard Creative + Claire

I’ve helped over one hundred creatives, coaches and causes build an online presence that they are proud of.

Lovely to meet you 🎉

I’m Claire, a Squarespace web designer and expert based on the east coast of South Africa and working internationally. I work with creatives (photographers, bloggers, authors, artists, entrepreneurs) coaches (life coaches, fitness experts, therapists) and causes (churches, schools, and NGOs) to design websites that are both beautiful and functional.

My personality, wiring and background in the arts and education provide me with the skills to help you go from idea to live website. These include empathic listening, strategy, design sensibility, copywriting, and project management — to name just a few. My aesthetic leans toward clean and minimal with a pop of colour, and I love that I get to work with interesting and creative people from all around the world.

  • Recognised Squarespace Expert

    Squarespace Experts are experienced third-party designers and developers vetted for their years of experience and quality of work. We are evaluated based on experience building Squarespace sites, our work quality, technical skills, and more.

    Squarespace Profile

  • 99designs Top Level Designer

    99designs is a global community of professional designers featured by Forbes, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur. As a Top Level designer, I demonstrate the highest proficiency in executing design principles, conceptual thought, technical skills, and deliverables.

    99designs Profile
  • Squarespace Circle Badge

    Squarespace Circle

    Squarespace Circle is Squarespace’s partner program for creative professionals. As a Circle Member, I offer my clients 20% off their first year subscriptions, have access to extended six-month trials and am part of a global network of professional creators.

    Circle Info

  • "Claire built me a thoughtfully designed, functional, and gorgeous website for my business. She is very communicative and has great ideas."

    — Dalis Sierra, Photographer, Pacific Northwest

  • "Claire is an incredible designer and an even more amazing individual. She is patient, kind, and thorough with an uncanny ability to keep things straightforward and elegantly simple. If you have the opportunity, seek out her services. I am a huge fan of her aesthetic and her coaching abilities. A true gem."

    — Maria Tuttle, Artist + Art Educator, San Francisco

  • "Claire was easy to work with and did excellent work."

    — Per Sjöfors, Thought Leader, California

  • “Claire did a wonderful job with my website. She was efficient, clear, and helpful, and changes were done almost immediately. She also quickly managed all the various domain issues. I'd recommend her to anyone.”

    — Dr. David Raffle, Raffle Brain Institute, Indiana

  • “Claire was inventive and thorough. She had great ideas about how to get what I wanted. She wanted me to be happy with the design and didn't rest till I was. I'm very pleased with the site she created.”

    — Jeremiah Crowell, Film Producer, UK

  • "Claire has a fantastic design aesthetic and is easy to work with. She designed my website in record time and produced a beautiful and unique site that I am really proud of."

    — Bradlee Roffers, Retreat Designer, Austin

  • “Claire was an excellent communicator and designer. She listened to our requests and worked hard to redesign our very outdated website into a professional, modern, clean design.”

    — Dr Brendan Carmel, Exotic Pet Vet, Melbourne

What’s in a Name?

01 · The Name

The name is inspired by the outdoors, nature, and the informality of things that happen in the backyard - like braais (barbeques), friends hanging out, DIY tinkering. It refers to gathering, nourishing and growth.

02 · Colour Palette

The navy, teal, terracotta and sand combination reminds me of coastal vibes, sea-spray and sunshine. Throw in a seaside cottage, big skies, a plate of freshly sliced mango, and that’s the feeling I’m going for.

03 · Typeface

The modern retro font known as Argent CF creates a bold focal point, with League Gothic supporting in its minimal simplicity both representing the type of design I’m drawn to: playful, clean and fresh.. 

[Thanks to my sister for this pic]

Strengthsfinder Top Five

  • Empathy

    I am intuitively able to see the world through other’s eyes and share their perspective.

  • Strategic

    I am able to sort through the clutter and find the best route. I can often see patterns where others simply see complexity.

  • Input

    I am inquisitive and find so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity.

  • Ideation

    I am fascinated by ideas and delighted when I discover an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are.

  • Adaptability

    I don't see the future as a fixed destination but instead I see it as a place that I create out of the choices that I make right now.

What to expect when you work with me…

I am an easy-going, down to earth and empathetic person who likes to work on a project-based approach with a defined start and finish date. I listen well, am an able problem solver, and I like to keep things simple and clear, both in the work process and in my design aesthetic. I love it when my clients feel empowered to manage their own websites once I hand the site over to them, which is one of the reasons I rave about Squarespace so much.

Causes I Support

  • C.R.O.W.

    C.R.O.W. is the oldest wildlife rehabilitation centre in South Africa, committed to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife. Run by a small, yet highly dedicated and experienced team of staff and volunteers, C.R.O.W. assists over 3000 orphaned, injured and displaced animals every year.

    Learn More

  • Gift of the Givers

    The Gift of the Givers Foundation is the largest disaster response non-governmental organisation of African origin on the African continent. The essence of our presence is to bring hope and restore dignity to the most vulnerable and marginalised communities through various humanitarian initiatives.

    Learn More

  • Estuary Care

    Boesmans-Kariega Estuary Care Management Forum exists to ensure responsible and sustainable preservation and use of the Boesmans and Kariega Estuaries and their tributaries and environs from their source to their mouths and the adjacent coastal area.

    Learn More