Meet Alex McGinness | Branding & Web Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex McGinness and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
As a web designer, I think a lot of people don’t realize the level of specialization associated with the field. For example, there are front-end developers which focus on the way a website looks, UX designers that focus on user journeys and back-end developers that focus on server connections and maintaining the functionality of the site. There are also specializations based on what platform you build on. I personally specialize in Squarespace and Shopify, while someone else might build on WordPress and Webflow. The level of detail and understanding for each platform is different. As a potential client, the best thing to do when seeking out a web designer is to ask a lot of questions. Get to know who you’re going to work with. Make sure they are able to create a website that fits your needs. And make sure to do your research prior to talking to any web designers. Not all web designers are the same, and ultimately it’s up to you to make sure you work with someone that’s the right fit for you and your business’ needs.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I use a combination of intuition and strategy in my design work. This process took time to develop and was not easy for me to figure out and hone into at the beginning of my design journey. When I decided to become a web designer in 2016, I went back to school for a Web Development and Design certificate. This certificate taught me the basics of how to build websites from scratch and the strategy associated with web design. During this program, I went on my first trip to Joshua Tree, CA, and had a transcendent experience. I came back from the trip and within 1 month of the original trip I created, designed, and wrote an entire oracle card deck based on my magical experience in the desert. I felt a pull to create the deck, and I followed it. That being said, I had no clue how it tied into my web design practice or how it would play into the business I was hoping to build in the future. This took time to figure out, about 2 years. What I realized is that creating The Desert Oracle Deck was one of the first times I felt a pull from my intuition that I followed through with. This process is something I then slowly brought into my branding and web design work, listening to the pulls of my intuition to create design work for my clients. I now work my intuition into my overall process, and use it in conjunction with creative strategy to create brands that standout for my clients. It was a long journey to get to the process I have now, but it was worth it. I find that my clients are happy that I put this much thought and intention into their design work and appreciate the level of detail I encapsulate into their brands.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A few places I’d definitely visit in the greater San Diego area include: Revolution Roasters in Oceanside, CA, for some delicious coffee, Soulscape in Encinitas for some eclectic shopping, and Kurtz Street Vintage Marketplace for some vintage finds. To eat we’d visit restaurants like Taste of the Himalayas in Carlsbad and Q’ero in Encinitas. We’d also probably take a sneaky trip to Joshua Tree because it’s my absolute favorite place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A mentor that has really helped me improve my web design skills is Rache from Squarestylist. She has an amazing program, Standout Squarespace, which literally changed my life. It is the best course I have ever taken for web design and immensely improved my skills as a designer. She goes over concepts like CSS, JavaScript and dives deep into using code on Squarespace. I have learned so much about modern coding techniques through this course and am a much better designer because of it. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the knowledge I acquired from this course. I can’t wait to take her Shopify course as well, which will be coming out in May 2022.