I will outline how I built my design subscription business, LhoestBrands, from concept to launch.

Before going into the steps, let’s explain a design subscription service. In short, think of it like Netflix for design needs. Users can subscribe to a plan and make unlimited requests, but they can only get one item at a time, similar to watching only one episode on Netflix.

It all started when I saw a YouTube video explaining a new business model called productized services. I had never heard of productized services. In short, its services that are packaged and priced as products. The video came from a channel called Starter Stories. Many of the videos mention the word productized services. Thanks to those videos, I wanted to create my own productized service.

It Starts with a Page.

I started with a piece of paper. I wanted to productize my design services, so I wrote down the overall structure of my operations. How would I describe my service on my website? How much should it cost? How do clients get their designs? These questions were the building blocks for my site. I laid out a simple business plan on just a single page.

Afterward, I wrote down quick ideas for the name, color, and layout; I created these ideas into a wireframe, laying the foundation for the website’s design and user interface.

If you don’t know a wireframe, consider it an image or set of images that display a website’s or page’s functional elements. It shows how a user will interact with your website and what elements they will see first when opening the site.

Website Wireframe

Bringing Color.

After completing the wireframing stage, I went to Figma, where I created an account to bring my ideas to life. Figma is the leading collaborative design tool for building meaningful products or designs. Using this design tool, I transformed the wireframe into a blueprint to design my website. I selected the colors, fonts, and elements to capture my vision.

First Figma Design Layout In addition to using Figma, I created some custom icons and a company logo using Adobe Illustrator.

With the Figma and Adobe assets in place, I turned to my loved ones for design feedback. Their insights were invaluable, leading to adjustments and refinements in the design, such as color changes and improved wording. Looking back, it was a horrible first design.

No Code Development.

After constructive feedback on my blueprint design, I made it a reality using Webflow to build a functional website. Webflow allows users to create custom, responsive websites without the need for code. I had to copy what was in my Figma file into Webflow.

The tool does require some learning, as there is a learning curve. However, whenever I hit a problem, I turned to YouTube tutorials for solutions. It was a bit of trial and error, but eventually, I got the website to look like my Figma layout.

YouTube Webflow Course Introduction Playlist Webflow was picked as a tool because I researched the best designer tools designers use to create a website. When I meant research, I only typed in the Google search bar “best designer tools making a website.” Webflow was an option, and I just picked that.

Usually, the best tool is the one you stick with for long enough.

But before I could launch the site, I needed a domain.

When picking a domain, I wanted a name that distinguished me from other services. Since I know I’m not the first to come up with this idea of designing a subscription service. So, the best idea I could think of is to use my name as a distinguishing factor. I want to put my name on the line. Thus, LhoestBrands was born, a combination of my name and service.

I originally planned to buy a domain name through Google Domains. However, SquareSpace bought Google Domains, so I bought one from SquareSpace domains.

Google Killed Google Domains I purchased my domain and linked it to my Webflow site. Sadly, the only way to link your purchased URL to your website is to buy a membership plan through Webflow.

Setting Up Payments.

After developing my webflow site using my Figma design, the next step is to set up the payments. I went on Stripe to set up my payment links. Stripe powers online and in-person payment processing and financial solutions for businesses of all sizes.

With Stripe, you can accept payments, send payouts, and automate them. Stripe allows me to create a subscription or one-off payment links to add to a site. It’s as easy as copying and pasting the payment link onto a button in Webflow.

After adding the payment links, I launched the site, officially introducing my design subscription service to the world.

Final Remarks.

My Stripe account will notify me when anyone buys my subscription plan. Then, I can email them asking them what their design needs are.

But the journey doesn’t end here. I know that this business still requires constant updates.

Now that the company is running, my current actions are marketing efforts to attract new clients and grow the business through posting content on social media like X and Reddit and creating articles.

If this website needs more improvement or you need help with your design needs,

Jump to LhoestBrands to capture attention and spark sales with our design services.