Designing a joyful Squarespace website for the Gwynns Falls Community
Creative Direction / Website Design
Industry
Community Organization
Roles
Creative Director: Gabriel David Carter
Web Designer: Gabriel David Carter
Graphic Designer: Keith Pinkston II
My Tasks/Deliverables
Brand Research and Discovery
Creative Direction
Website Development
Email Automation
For this website design, I oversaw the creative direction for the Gwynns Falls Community Association (GFCA) website, guiding the overall vision, structure, and digital experience for the project. The goal was to create a site that felt approachable, community-centered, and easy to use—something that reflected the association’s commitment to local engagement and neighborhood stewardship.
I met with Chris Schulze, president of the Gwynns Falls Community Association, and we walked through the community. Chris showed me various houses, introduced me to community members, and highlighted the community features such as Mighty Park and the community garden. I used this community walk-through as the concept for the website design. With a cool blue arching line, the community flows along the Gwynns Falls stream. As you scroll the website, you pass custom illustrations—various houses and locations, such as the park and garden.
Preliminary sketches
Built on Squarespace, the site was developed to be easily maintained by the organization. I handled the full website development process, from layout and navigation, ensuring the site remained accessible, responsive, and aligned with the association’s communications goals.
I hired designer, Keith Pinkston, who contributed all custom visual elements, including the original illustrations that anchor the site’s personality and give it an immediately recognizable identity. His design work complements the site’s structure, guiding visitors to various points of interest as they scroll.
The result is a coordinated blend of thoughtful creative direction and expressive visuals. This online home feels rooted in the Gwynns Falls community and built to support its ongoing work
