Squarespace: 2022 in Review
If you're a fan of Squarespace like I am, you'll know that 2022 was a banner year for the platform. They completely revamped their website builder with the "Fluid Engine" layout editor and let me tell you - it was a game changer. Building websites on Squarespace just got a whole lot easier and more stylish. But that's not all - they also rolled out a ton of new features that made it possible to create professional-grade websites without any coding skills. These updates were a total dream for anyone who loves to tinker with their website and try out the latest design trends. In this article, I'll be sharing all the details about these new features and giving you my honest thoughts on them.
Fluid Engine
Squarespace's Fluid Engine update has revolutionized the way websites are designed on the platform. One of its standout features is the ability to layer overlapping blocks, which allows users to create dynamic and visually appealing layouts. The update also lets you independently edit mobile and desktop versions of your website, ensuring it looks great on any device. The Fluid Engine allows for even more customization options, such as full bleed sections and the ability to add background colors to text blocks.
In addition to these design enhancements, F.E also brings some exciting updates to the way images can be used on your website. You can now have images that fill their container and can be aligned within it, and you can also select multiple images at once for easier management and arrangement of your website's visual content.
While the Fluid Engine update has brought many improvements, it does have some drawbacks. One issue is the lack of a tablet view, which requires more time spent optimizing website responsiveness. The mobile view editor is a useful feature, but it does require manual adjustment of every section of your website to ensure it looks good on mobile. Another omission is the lack of image block layouts, which means you can't add captions to images or customize them with code. However, you can switch to the classic editor if you need these features.
Thoughts: Overall, the Fluid Engine update is a major step forward for Squarespace. While it may have some kinks to work out, it has greatly improved since its release, and I use it for most of my website builds. I expect Squarespace to introduce a tablet view in 2023 and continue to release updates that will make the Fluid Engine the go-to editor for all designers.
Asset Library
Asset Library is a new section in the back end of Squarespace websites that allows you to view all of your website's media (images and videos) in one central location. This makes it easier to manage and organize your media content.
One of the standout features of the Asset Library is the ability to view asset details, such as file size and dimensions. This can be particularly useful when you're trying to locate a specific image or video. You can also sort and search your assets, as well as delete them (including bulk delete) to save storage space. The Asset Library also lets you keep track of your available video storage, so you always know how much space you have left.
Thoughts: I've found the Asset Library to be a really useful feature, especially when it comes to deleting media assets in bulk or removing old images and videos when duplicating a website. Overall, it's a great addition to Squarespace that has improved my efficiency when working on websites with large portfolios or video content.
Saved Sections
Saved Sections is one of my favorite new Squarespace features of 2022! It allows you to save and reuse pre-existing sections of your website, such as a testimonial carousel or image gallery, on multiple pages with just a few clicks. This can be incredibly useful for websites with a lot of content, as it saves time and effort compared to building similar sections from scratch. Saved Sections is also a great feature for clients who need placeholders for content that isn't ready yet – you can pre-build sections for them and add them to their saved sections to be used on their website when the content is ready. If you want to learn more about this feature, you can check out this article I wrote about it.
Thoughts: I truly enjoy using Saved Sections. I hope that Squarespace will make it available on a global scale so that saved sections can be interchangeable between websites. I also think it would be helpful if we could label saved sections with tags or categories, similar to how we can do with blogs and products, to better organize them.
Text Highlights
Text Highlights is a fun addition that easily allows you to add visual emphasis to your text in a variety of ways. You can now choose from twelve different highlight styles, ranging from underlines and cross-outs to circles and squiggles. You can also customize the color, thickness, and end caps of the highlight, as well as choose whether it appears in front of or behind the text. And for an extra touch of flair, you can even enable animation for a dynamic, eye-catching effect.
Thoughts: Text Highlights is another feature that was previously only possible through custom CSS or some other DIY solution. I find the feature to be perfect as it is but if you have some innovative ways on how Squarespace might improve this feature then share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Scrolling Text Block
The Scrolling Text block brings the HTML marquee element natively to Squarespace. This feature allows you to add a scrolling text block to your website, which can add movement, highlight important information, and add personality and flair. From a web design perspective, there are many benefits to using a scrolling text block on your website. It brings dynamism and attracts positive attention when used correctly and can be a great way to add some character to your site.
Scrolling Text Block
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Scrolling Text Block |
Thoughts: Another feature that required coding through CSS and JavaScript which can now be easily added to Squarespace with a few clicks! I would love to see the ability to add multiple links to the block as opposed to the current one link per block limit. Another cool feature would be the ability to add photos to the block as this would make for a great animated logo wall. I currently create this effect by building a logo carousel through auto layouts and combining it with this great code snippet from Will Myers that auto scrolls the carousel.
Final Verdict
All of these updates from Squarespace demonstrate how the platform is making it easier for users to focus on designing websites by natively adopting features that were previously only accessible through code or third-party applications. This is great news for designers and Circle Members, as it means we can spend more time on design and less on custom code solutions. It's also reassuring to know that these now native functions will not break with updates to the platform. Even users without a lot of design experience can create visually appealing websites that meet their needs. Overall, these updates are a win for everyone.
I'm excited to see what Squarespace has in store for us in 2023. The future looks bright for the platform!
