The starting point

Little Pigs at Home is an animal rescue sanctuary providing lifelong care for pigs and other vulnerable animals. Specifcally those with unique care needs.

Before this project, they didn’t have a website — just a Facebook page and a logo.

While their work was deeply impactful, there was no central place to:

  • Tell their story clearly

  • Build trust with new visitors

  • Make it easy for people to support what they do

The challenge

This wasn’t just about creating a website — it was about creating something they could truly own.

The site needed to:

  • Be simple enough for the team to manage themselves

  • Remove reliance on external help for updates

  • Feel natural and true to the way they already communicate

  • Present their work in a way that builds credibility without losing authenticity

At the same time, their work is unique — even within the sanctuary space.

They care for animals that are often more difficult to manage, requiring patience, understanding, and long-term commitment.

That depth of care needed to come through without overexplaining it.

Choosing the right foundation

Before any design work began, the focus was on platform choice.

The goal wasn’t just flexibility — it was usability.

After exploring options, Squarespace was chosen for its balance of:

  • Ease of use

  • Visual control

  • Ability for the team to confidently manage the site themselves

To support this decision, a working prototype was created — giving the team a clear sense of how the site would function day-to-day before committing to a full build.

Designing for independence

Every decision was made with long-term ownership in mind:

  • Simple, repeatable page structures

  • Easy-to-edit sections

  • Clear content layouts that don’t break when updated

The result is a site they can actively use — not something they feel hesitant to touch.

The outcome

A website that:

  • Gives the sanctuary a credible, professional online presence

  • Reflects the tone and values of the organisation

  • Can be confidently managed and updated by the team themselves

Most importantly, it provides a stable platform that supports their work — helping more people discover, trust, and support what they do.

And my final step was to schedule a ‘Squarespace coaching call’ where I spent an hour teaching the organisation’s founder, Susan, how to use, edit, and update her new website with confidence.

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Turning a year of impact into something people can connect with