Katie Zana
Squarespace & Shopify Template Designer at PEARLER
Gold Coast, Australia
www.pearler.work
instagram @pearler__work
Q What do you do?
“My muggle job is being a web and brand designer, mostly creating templates. But on a deeper level, I use my intuition and witchy-ness to create websites that feel as good as they look.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re DIYing one of my templates or I’m making something custom, my intention is to help translate the nuts, bolts, and emotion of your brand into digital experiences that magnetise and convert in a way most web designers aren’t offering. Cue: connection, dopamine, joy, loyalty.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
In 2014, “online stores” were the big thing, so I emailed a bunch of brands I like then I landed a job managing an online store for a fashion label. After a few years, I went freelance. I took the ilovecreatives Squarespace Design Course to tighten up my haphazard, self-taught skills and started building my biz.
The secret is that I absolutely have the "how hard can it be??? gene and that I’ve been lucky to work closely with trusting small biz owners and startups who believed in me and let me take creative risks.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Gone are the days of impersonal websites. Your digital casa has to make a fab first impression, tell a story, spark emotions, and convert with ease. I was one of the first Squarespace template designers back in 2020 and I chose to go against the grain. While the industry pushed plain, beige templates, I said, "nahhhhhh, snore." Flash forward, 1000’s of people have shown me they agreed and bought my templates :’)
My designs are maximalist, soulful, and designed to trick the world into thinking you’re a nepo baby with $30k to drop on a custom site. Looks expenno, isn’t.
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m making two new, budget-friendly, one-page Squarespace templates called 100% That Witch and Sit, Stay, Slay.
I’m also in the middle of 3 full-service projects for ¹ a futuristic homeschooling startup ² a manic pixie dream girl OF creator and ³ an Irish midwife living in NYC who wants to re-brand as a means of unmasking her Celtic, witchy side.
Q What’s your style?
In a word: maximalism. My templates lean on inner-child nostalgia, femininity and spiritual aesthetics. My custom designs are where I really tap into my intuitive skills to translate your inner world (or chaotic moodboards) into a cohesive, stunning web experience.
Dolly Parton said it costs a lotta money to look this cheap and similarly when it comes to maximalism, I say it takes a lotta skill to look this chaotic ☻
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Coming up with branding that blows people’s minds. Dreaming them up and creating website templates as a vehicle to show them off and get your attention is my idea of having fun and getting paid for it. For it to also serve other people in helping their ideas come to life is what truly fills my cup, though.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
The same thing that’s always frustrated me: beige brands and copycats. It’s actually riskier to fit in than to stand out, yet people keep playing it safe. I’m banging my drum for authenticity in branding (and by extension, websites) because it not only sets you apart but also attracts the right clients and opportunities.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Stand beside my computer and tell me I’m doing a great job. It’s hard to motivate oneself as a WFH solopreneur ⏤ after 10 years it’s not getting easier! Welp.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I’d tell my 20-something self to start therapy yesterday. Learning who I am, what I like, and what feels authentic—not just in life but in business—has been a game-changer. The more I’ve trusted my creative instincts, the more aligned clients and opportunities I’ve attracted.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I don’t know the most about websites, but I feel the most about them! I don’t really desire working with experts and becoming one myself.
After many years working in this space, I’ve gained so much more wisdom and help from people who pour hours into their special interest from passion, than I have from any self-proclaimed expert!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I love working with anyone who sees themselves, their brand, or their vision as a little weird, woo, or taboo. My templates pair well with new-era businesses—those shaking up traditional industries or remixing them to create something better. I’m especially drawn to collaborations with people in s*x education, plant medicine, astrology, healing, or witchy practices.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
For custom websites, I’m typically the go-to person that super creative-minded, neurodivergent people need when they have a particularly bold vision to come to life that others haven’t been able to grasp.
Q: What is your rate?
✓ Squarespace templates are from $199-$399
✓ My Shopify theme is $1899
✓ Design days are from $1111
✓ Custom websites start at $6k
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Leave me a text, voice memo or (bonus points) video via the fun widget on my website. Tell me your wild ideas, or what you’re finding hard and seeking a solution with.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Illustrator and all-round cutie, Emily Wylde is a client-turned-bestie of mine who’s become a real creative soul sister to me. Her websites have always been made using my templates so aside from being a Star Student, she endlessly inspires me with her ability to weave her sense of play, cuteness, cleverness, intuition and heart into her designs for brands. To me, that’s artistry.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I’m an ideas factory and I harbor a lot of guilt for so many of them going to waste. So, most of my templates come from ideas I wish existed or brand concepts I know I’ll never start. For me, this is creating from a place of pure dopamine! For example, I created a template for a femme dog trainer who helps women harness their inner alpha. I’m always scrolling Pinterest, digging through my inspo folder, or experimenting with unusual design ideas and turning it into unignorable branding.
This member profile was originally published in July 2021, Updated in January 2025.