CAMZYN Studio
OVERVIEW
A user-friendly, art-inspired design + web dev studio
In 2020, I founded a design and web development studio helping small businesses, community organizations, and artists clarify their mission, communicate value, and reach broader audiences.
Business design
Service design
Name + brand identity
Web development
BACKGROUND
It all started when I needed a portfolio website…
In 2018, I was studying visual communication design and needed to build my first ever portfolio website. When I started exploring DIY website builders, I was instantly fascinated by the powerful platforms enabling anyone to turn designs into live experiences in minutes.
OPPORTUNITY
A gap in my region’s design
and web dev services market
While working for a startup serving small business retail boutiques, I took a deep interest in the potential of website builder platforms to promote digital equity, communication, and creativity in my community, a small city away from big urban hubs.
Ali on the Boulevard, 2019. Photo by me.
PLANNING
Leaning into the work
happening around me
When the startup I was working for closed its doors, I found myself on a job search. Friends who were already running creative businesses in art, design, and photography encouraged me to lean into my interests and skillset for web design and development to take on projects that would help bridge the gap.
Scott Erickson Art Shop
My first studio project was redesigning and rebuilding Scott’s online print shop.
Shopify + Printful
01
Scott Erickson
Website
My second studio project was redesigning and rebuilding Scott’s main website.
Squarespace
02
West.SB Shop
My third studio project was developing the West.SB online print shop.
Shopify + Printful
03
SELECT PROJECTS
I blinked. Two years later, I was still at it!
Alex Ann Allen website
Muralist, South Bend IN
Squarespace
Shannan Martin website
Author, Goshen IN
Squarespace
Melissa Jean website
Hairstylist, St. Pete FL
Squarespace
Bay Beauty Co. website
Beauty salon collective, St. Pete FL
Squarespace
Studio Brubaker website
Video production studio, South Bend IN
Webflow
RESEARCH
What are the unique website needs of independent artists?
I spent eight months exploring this question through the INVANTI Founder Studio, a small-city investment company. Through conversations with more than fifty artists across the U.S., I found that the top needs were:
Portfolio / art-first layouts
Flexible selling tools
Quick, low-effort updates
Transparent ownership and pricing
ITERATION
Designing for the ways artists actually work
I shifted my studio offerings to support artists’ independence long after a project wraps. I avoid custom code unless it’s truly necessary, instead leaning on top-performing DIY platforms.
Today, I work closely with each artist to design, build, launch, and evolve their site to mirror how they actually make and sell work, whether that’s commissions, events, prints, services, or a mix of all of the above. Above all, I keep my pricing transparent, clear, and easy to plan for.
IMPACT
Artists make communities more vibrant and help us imagine a better world.
Accessible and collaborative web development empowers small businesses and artists to participate more fully in the local and creative economy.
Spring Awakening directed by Ashley Coia. Photo by Evan Cobb.
Stations in the Street by Scott Erickson. Photo provided by Scott.
Mural in progress by Alex Allen. Photo by Matt Ehnes.
TAKEWATYS
Reflections from practice
Collaborative decision-making means balancing ideal solutions with client capacity, timelines, and resources. The strongest outcomes come from shared priorities and transparency around constraints.
Focused, high-touch projects allow for deeper collaboration and more durable outcomes, particularly when working with returning clients over time.
Accessible web development has outsized impact, demonstrating what’s possible to organizations constrained by legacy code and outdated approaches to development.
