A website project can be overwhelming.

Whether you are in need of a brand new website because you never had one, or you want – or need – to redesign and refresh your current one. There are so many decisions to be made and so many options. The choices can make your head spin.

I can help you navigate the technical and design options to focus in on what you really need.

I won’t overwhelm you with choices. I’ll help narrow down the choices you have and offer my professional opinion on which is the best route for you to take. I’ll put all the technical basics in place so you can focus on running your business.

Hi, I’m Lisa.

I design simple, clean sites that will help you accomplish your business goals.

I help you navigate the technical and design options to focus in on what you really need.

It’s my goal to make the website design process as simple as it can be for you. I won’t overwhelm you with choices. I’ll help narrow down the design and technical options you have and offer my professional opinion on which is the best route for you to take. I’ll put all the technical basics in place so you can focus on running your business.

I didn’t start here.

I haven’t always been involved in web design, but design and business have always been my personal passion. I originally got my college degree in Marketing from Texas A&M. I loved the psychology (the science) behind the persuasion (the art). I always found it fascinating how much of a role that visual elements played in what seemed to be a completely logical process of making a purchase.

“If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.”
― David Ogilvy

I worked in retail management and training for several years when one day I realized that I was just solving the same problems every day, every week, every year. The products and people were different but I never seemed to see any results from my efforts. It became all about spreadsheets and inventory and sales goals. I never saw an end to a project and felt like I was solving the same problems over and over again.

I decided to make a leap and go back to school to study Interior Design. The visual creative side had won over and I needed an outlet for my creativity. I loved it and moved into commercial design for a large commercial architecture firm in Houston. When I started, I never realized how technical interior design can be. Everything is dictated by building codes and governmental requirements. It isn’t enough for a room, or a building to look good. It has to “comply” with all the codes and regulations or it can’t be built.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.
Design is how it works.”
― Steve Jobs

New family, new passions.

I got into web design totally by accident. By now, I had gotten married and started a family and being like any new, panicked mom, I joined a neighborhood moms group and got involved. The group needed a new website, but we didn’t have the funds in the budget and no one was volunteering to do it, so I decided to give it a try. I loved it!

I started out simple, building a few websites for groups that I was involved with and other volunteer based groups. That local mom’s group eventually became my very first client and they are still with me today – 10 years later!

I thought I was at a disadvantage starting out without a “formal education”, but that made me work that much harder. I devoured every online class about code and website usability that I could find. The world of online classes taught by other web designers, plus some experimentation with my own websites, offered me all the training I could handle, and I was an empty sponge – constantly looking for more to learn and do.

Web design was so much like Interior Design, but it was still considered a new profession and exciting. I took the same principals of design and function that I had learned from working as an Interior Designer and implemented them to improve usability in the digital world. It was highly creative, but still had a very important and complex technical element to it that I loved.

I was learning so much every day – about digital design and code (html and css) the opportunities were endless. When I started gaining new clients I continued to expand my skill set and now consider myself to be a real pro. I’m not just a designer, I’m a designer who codes.

Working with small businesses, I was also able to pull out my marketing lessons and apply those in a way that really made sense. It seemed like the perfect blend.

“Websites should look good from the inside and out.”
― Paul Cookson

So what about the name?

White Space Web Studio. I could have named my company by my own name, but I wanted something that really described my vision and how I approach design.

White Space is sometimes referred to as negative space. It is the portion of a design that is empty – usually the margins, space between columns and images.

White space isn’t just “blank” space — it is an important element of design which enables the design to exist at all; the balance between positive and the negative spaces is key to a beautiful design composition.

Creating White Space for a website isn’t just about design. It’s also all the technical fluff and unnecessary features that can get added to projects. Just because we have the ability to create a slideshow on the home page with animations and video – doesn’t mean we should.

Too much stuff – whether it is visual or technical – gets in the way of the satisfying the needs of the user.

Creating a website utilizing white space effectively makes it simple and uncomplicated. It allows the content and message to stand out. It is intuitive for the user and and helps you accomplish your goals.

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupery

As a designer, I work one on one with my clients to fully understand what you do and the primary purpose for your website – then offer solutions that will help you meet your goals.

Our working together is a collaborative process. We’ll start with a conversation – so I can truly understand what you need from your website. I want to know what’s important to YOU and how your website fits into your overall business strategy.

I’ll guide you through the web design and creation process. You’ll have homework to complete (no grades) you’ll be asked to provide feedback – lots of feedback.

We’ll tackle the website in stages – talking first about how you want your client to feel and the message you want to communicate. Every decision we make will help reinforce your overall business strategy.

You’ll get weekly progress updates by email and we’ll have check-in calls scheduled throughout the process to make sure that everything stays on track.

I don’t want there to be any surprises at the end of the project. My goal is for you to LOVE your website once it’s done.