Waypoint

05/27/2026

Google is at it again! You may have noticed your Google apps have looked a bit different these last few days. They're the latest to hop on the trend of gradient-based graphic design assets.
In the world of business, it's always tempting to jump on the latest trend. I get it -- you don't want to look like you missed the train filled with the latest and greatest. But before we blindly jump to follow the tech giants, we need to take a beat and recognize that we're playing a very different game than them.
Small businesses and local nonprofits operate in the world of physical, tangible assets. Your logo is on a sign outside your shop, screen printed on a little league t-ball jersey, embroidered on hats. Not so for Google. They exist in the digital world, on screens, rarely manifesting in the physical world. Gradient graphics are no big deal for a laptop screen, but if you're trying to embroider it on a ball cap? Forget about it.
I love the limitations that come with tangible assets -- It forces designers to create sharp and bold designs that can and will be held, touched and interacted with. Small businesses' brands actually TOUCH their clients, their employees, and their community, and I love that. Don't chase a trend just so you can look like the big boys. Celebrate what it is that makes your small business great.

05/25/2026

I've had the great pleasure to redesign the branding for The Puzzle Consultant LLC. It has been a unique challenge to design for such a unique company -- finding just the right balance between professionalism and play. Putting our heads together, I think the final product strikes just the right chord.
Taylor with The Puzzle Consultant organizes and plans puzzle-based events -- from fundraisers to speed puzzling competitions and everything in between. Before working with The Puzzle Consultant, I was unaware of the growing puzzling community -- they're doing some really great stuff! They definitely deserve a follow, and keep them in mind for your next event!

05/18/2026

The work you do is too important to look like you don't care.
Right now, in your town, there's someone who needs exactly what you do. When they look at your website, what are they going to see? Are they going to see someone with attention-to-detail, who cares about the work that they do? Or are they going to use your competitor because they 'look the part'?
I HATE seeing great, high-quality, local companies get passed up for the better-looking company that does worse work. Don't let that happen to you.

05/15/2026

If your website doesn't repel people, you're missing out!
Stick with me...
One of the strongest and underused tools in website design is a "disqualifier section." It effectively serves as a filter, getting the wrong clients to lean out while your right clients lean in. More than that, it's another place where you can say something REAL about your company, where you can show your clients what working with you is actually like.
If you don't have something like this on your site -- it's worth considering! And if you need help figuring out what yours should say, I'd love to help.
🧭 Will with Waypoint

05/13/2026

This has been a great project! Strong messaging is super important -- especially for nonprofits doing as important work as Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation.
Most of the families that they serve are navigating the special education system for the first time and are under enormous stress, often without money for attorneys or advocates.
MoDE helps families of children with disabilities secure the educational
support their kids are legally entitled to -- and advocates for a system
where they shouldn't have to fight for it in the first place.
If this is the first you've heard of them, give them a follow! The work they do is incredible, very needed, and will leave you inspired.

Several months ago, MoDE Foundation received a capacity-building grant through Mary's Pence, an organization that invests in women and community-driven social change.

Through this grant, we partnered with Waypoint to strengthen our nonprofit messaging, communication, and donor engagement strategies. Most importantly, we gained the confidence to put those plans into action.

We are thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow!

05/01/2026

I'm a web designer and I had to fix mine...
Here's the truth: 60-70% of your customers will see your website on their phone first. How customers engage with small businesses online has shifted drastically in just the last five years. Your mobile website -- at one point a 'nice-to-have' -- has now become the new front door.
Make sure you have a good one!
🧭 Will with Waypoint

04/27/2026

Your work is too important...
You know that your work is more than just WORK. You know that the work you do has a deeper impact, and you take pride in it! You do great work. But for people who haven't hired you yet, they don't know that. They can only judge off of what they can see.
When they look at your website, do they see how much you care? Or do they see a DIY stopgap that you put together at midnight five years ago.
You do great work. The work you do is too important to look like you don't care.
If you or someone you know does phenomenal work and deserves to look like it online, I'm just a DM away!

04/22/2026

I'm a web designer and I had to redo mine...
After my recent site redesign, I pulled up my site on my phone and ... yeah, there was some work left to do.
In the past five years, mobile site usage has skyrocketed -- the latest numbers show between 60% and 70% of your customers are accessing your site first on their phone.
The mobile-friendly site -- once a 'nice-to-have' -- is now the front door!
If your front door needs a refresh, reach out!

04/13/2026

Updated the Waypoint site — and over the next few weeks, I'm breaking down the design decisions behind it in a series of reels.

Not just "here's what looks good" — but WHY it works, and how the same thinking applies to almost any small business.

If you've ever wondered what makes a brand actually feel trustworthy (or why some sites send people running), this series is for you.
🧭 waypointcompany.org

04/10/2026

One of the biggest problems I see on small business' websites is how they use their about page. Most often, small businesses use it simply as a spot to talk all about themselves, and no more.
It's a waste of space and a huge missed opportunity.
Why?
Because if we're just talking about ourselves (how long we've been in business, etc.), we're framing ourselves as the hero of the story, not our customer.
INSTEAD -- we need to be approaching the about page with intentionality (like we should be doing with the rest of the site). What story can we tell that actually MATTERS to our customers?
Check out my site to see how I approached this: www.waypointcompany.org

04/08/2026

Your "About" page could be a waste of space -- or worse.
The problem is, most small businesses use this page as an excuse to talk all about themselves.
"In business since 1986..."
"Three generations..."
And -- while this isn't inherently bad, it's not inherently USEFUL to your customers. When you talk about yourself, it should be through the lens of "how is this helpful to my customers?"
Check out the video for more, and if you want to see what I did on my own site, check it out at www.waypointcompany.org