Web design for artists and makers
I design and build websites for artists and makers that let the work lead, sell originals and editions directly, and make commissions easy to start.
Free homepage teardown for your studio
Send me your site. I’ll record a short video on what works, what doesn’t, and what I’d change first.
How clients choose
Collectors and buyers find artists through Instagram, galleries, markets and word of mouth, then visit the site to see the full body of work and decide whether to buy or commission. They want to see scale, materials and price. The site has to step back so the work comes forward, and still make buying simple.
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What people type before they choose. Each of these deserves a clear answer somewhere on your site, usually its own page.
Pages your site needs
The pages I plan for almost every studio website, and why each one earns its place.
Work
Bodies of work or series, each with dimensions, medium and year. Scale is the first question buyers have.
Shop
Originals, editions and prints with availability and shipping. Sold pieces stay visible as a record.
Commissions
How commissions work, timelines, starting prices and examples.
About and statement
Who you are, your practice and an artist statement in readable language.
Shows and stockists
Upcoming exhibitions, markets and the galleries or shops that carry your work.
Studio
Studio visits, open studios or classes, if you offer them.
What builds trust
The signals that move someone from browsing to choosing a studio.
Work shown in a room
Pieces photographed on a wall or table, so buyers understand size.
Careful packing and shipping
How work is packed, insured and shipped, especially for originals.
Exhibition history
A CV of shows, residencies and collections, where they exist.
Certificates for editions
Edition sizes and certificates of authenticity where you issue them.
The conversion path
Primary action: Buy an original or print.
Fallback: Enquire about a commission.
Every artwork page shows price and availability with a clear purchase or enquire button. Commissions have their own page and form that asks for size, budget and timing, so the conversation starts with the essentials.
Common mistakes
What I see most often when I review sites in this field.
A busy template
Decorative layouts compete with the art. The design should step back.
No dimensions
Buyers cannot judge an original without knowing its size.
Prices only by request
Hiding every price can work for galleries, but it loses direct buyers who would have bought.
Out-of-date show list
Old exhibitions on the homepage make an active practice look dormant.
Features worth building
Shopify or Big Cartel shop
Originals marked one of a kind, editions tracked by number, prints with variants.
Commission enquiry form
Size, budget, timeline and reference images in one form.
Editable shows and stockists
You add exhibitions and stockists yourself, and past shows move to an archive automatically.
Websites for artists and makers: common questions
For work you sell directly, usually yes. Collectors who see a price can decide quietly. Those who see "price on request" often move on. If a gallery represents you, check your agreement, since many galleries expect consistent pricing and may handle sales of certain work. Prints and smaller pieces should almost always show a price.
Treat them differently. Originals are one of a kind with dimensions, medium and a sold state once gone. Editions show edition size and number. Open prints have variants by size and paper. Shopify or Big Cartel handle all three well, and I design the shop so it looks like part of your portfolio rather than a separate store.
Yes, if you want to own the relationship. Platforms change their rules and take fees, and your work sits next to everyone else’s. A website gives you one place to show the full body of work, sell directly, collect an email list for releases and point galleries and press to. The platforms become channels into it.
Shoot flat work square-on in even, diffused light, with accurate colour, and add one photo of each piece in a room for scale. Sculptural and ceramic work needs several angles. Good photography is one of the biggest improvements an artist website can make, and I size and crop the images so they display sharply without slowing the site.
Keep reading
- nick@tavro.ca
- 587-439-9994
- Calgary, Alberta