Behind the Scenes of Kim Harless’s Website (and My 3-Second Surfing Career)

🎉 Website of the Week: Vote Kim Harless 🎉

Launching Kim Harless’s website for her re-election campaign for Vancouver City Council felt like building on momentum. I’d just wrapped up a few back-to-back candidate sites, and by the time I got to Kim’s, one thing was crystal clear: your homepage has to show how you’re already showing up for your community.

Her photography and branding? Already on point. That made designing the hero section feel more like curating than building from scratch. We played with three versions, each simple but bold in its own way.

Here’s what we explored:

• Version 1: 

• Version 2:

• Version 3:

It was a tough call, but in the end, we went with the one that felt most “Kim.” You can see the winning version live right here: votekimharless.com

What Every Campaign Homepage Should Have:

• Real Community Ties
  Voters want to see more than a resume. Show them you’re already involved. Local endorsements, photos with your neighbors, quotes from real people, they all go a long way.

• Clear Actions
  Don’t make supporters dig. Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or endorsing, give them one-click ways to support you.

• A Personal Voice
  Let your personality come through. What drives you? What do you believe in? Your story matters just as much as your policies.

A Quick Squarespace Tip

Want to add a thank-you message after someone fills out your form? In your settings, you can either redirect them to a new page (like your donate page!) or just add a friendly message like

"Thanks for supporting Kim! Want to keep the momentum going? Click here to donate."

Here’s a quick video on how to do it.

🌸 Aloha from the Debugging Desk

I actually wrapped Kim’s site right before heading to Hawaii. And I won’t lie, trying to surf for the first time? Humbling. 

I stood up for all of three seconds. But hey, small wins still count. Same goes for websites. Every tweak, every page, every little improvement adds up.

Talk soon,