From Hot Mess to Pop Express
New vibe, who dis?
For the past decade as a Showit website designer, I’ve been trying to fit a round peg (no, a star shaped peg) into a square hole. My brand was messy, inconsistent, and built more on comparison than confidence. A series of half-attempts to fit into spaces that never really felt like mine.
Somewhere between running a full-time portrait studio that celebrates the magic of childhood and raising two wildly different daughters, I realized I was preaching boldness and individuality… without fully living it myself.
So I did the scary thing. I tore it all down to build something brighter. Louder. Properly branded and unapologetically mine. Crystal Lee Design Studio is now Make It POP! And you know what?
She’s not playing small anymore.
The Make It POP! Vibe
Make It POP! is bright, bold, confident, and a little (a lot?) rebellious. It’s a brand built for photographers who are done blending in and ready to stand out online as themselves. You didn’t start your business to blend in, and neither did I.
For me, color is the strategy.
And the feeling? That’s the magic.
Color isn’t just decoration, it’s energy.
Feeling.
Emotion.
It’s the first thing your audience reacts to before they even read a word.
This site isn’t neutral, subtle, or “safe.” Make It POP! was built to deliver a full-on dopamine hit the second you land on the site.
Massive credit to Ally B Designs for helping me bring this vision to life. She took my messy, colorful brain and turned it into a brand that feels like ME, to my very core.
(She also designed the brand for Crystal Lee Photography, and now she’s offering brand packages to my web design clients, too. Because no one does confident, colorful brands like Ally!)
A quick peek behind the palette:
Pink – Creativity, compassion, and bold confidence
Hot pink commands attention. It’s joyful, fearless, and full of personality. It says “I’m here, let’s do this!”
Yellow – Happiness, clarity, and “let’s go” energy
Yellow is the spark. It boosts confidence, fuels ideas, and brings sunshine to your scroll.
Teal & Blue – Calm strategy meets creative clarity
These cool tones ground the palette. They’re trust-building, growth-minded, and say “we’re having fun, but we mean business.”
This palette was inspired by the places that light me up… sunsets on the beach, tropical Maui skies, the carefree energy of island life. (I mean, how can you NOT smile when you’re looking at a pineapple wearing sunglasses?!) It’s a visual experience that feels like a vacation and a pep talk at the same time.
It’s not soft. It’s not subtle.
It’s not meant to fade into the background.
And neither are you.
What This Means for You
If you’re a photographer who’s tired of looking like everyone else online, this is your sign.
Make It POP! was built for creatives who are ready to stand out, stop overthinking, and finally have a website that actually works for them.
That means:
✔️ Done-for-you website copy – No more blank pages or guessing what to say
✔️ Brand voice refinement – So your site sounds like you (on your best day)
✔️ Strategy built in – From the first click to the final scroll
Whether you’re booking a custom design or grabbing a personality-packed template, I’ve got your back.
This brand is deeply personal.
This isn’t just about better design or standing out. It’s about finally owning who I am.
As a 40-something woman who’s spent too much of her life trying to fit in, shrink down, and play it safe, Make It POP! feels like a sigh of relief and a cocktail in my hand.
A power move.
A rebellion against sameness.
It’s my “She’s All That” coming down the stairs moment.
The confidence, the color, the clarity – it was always there. I just had to stop asking for permission.
This brand is a love letter to the loud ones.
The weird ones.
The ones who never quite fit the mold, who always chose Lisa Frank over plain manila, who are finally ready to stop hiding and start showing up.
If you’re ready for a website that feels like you, works like a marketing machine, and maybe makes your competition sweat just a little… you’re in the right place.
The internet’s crowded. Be the one they can’t scroll past.
Let’s Make It POP!
Take a scroll through the new site. Soak in the vibes.
If it feels like your kind of magic and you want to see what we can create together, hit up that contact page and let’s schedule a consultation and mini site audit!
Or just say hi over on Instagram or Facebook – I’d love to hear what you think.
Thanks for being here and for cheering on this wild, colorful next chapter with me!
