Gates To YogaA small business website that evolved into a comprehensive online resource featuring yoga classes and memberships, educational content, videos, events and wellness resources.
Overview
Gates To Yoga was a yoga and wellness website I developed, designed, and managed from 2013-2024. What began as a small business website evolved into a comprehensive online resource featuring yoga classes and memberships, educational content, videos, events and wellness resources.
Over the years, I redesigned and refined the site as the business evolved, working across multiple platforms and adapting the visual design, navigation, content structure, and user experience to meet changing needs.
My Role
I was responsible for the design, development, branding, content organization, and ongoing management of the Gates To Yoga website. I planned the site’s structure, created and maintained page layouts, selected imagery and typography, developed the visual identity, organized extensive educational content, and continually refined the user experience as the business grew.
I managed memberships, developed and managed online yoga classes and video content, oversaw the organization and presentation of digital resources for members and visitors.
Platforms: Squarespace • WordPress • GoDaddy • Wix • SubHub • Zoho Sites • 1&1 (IONOS) • Google Sites
Focus: Web Design, Redesign & Development • UX/UI Design • Branding • Information Architecture • Content Strategy & Organization • Photography & Videography • Memberships • Content Management
Other: Business Management • Email Marketing • Social Media • SEO • Website Analytics • Educational Content
01 – Design Overview
Gates To Yoga evolved significantly over the course of more than a decade. As the business expanded beyond in-person yoga classes, the website needed to support a growing library of educational resources, yoga practices, videos, articles, and other wellness content.
My goal was to create a digital experience that felt calm, welcoming, and easy to navigate while providing a clear structure for a large amount of content. I focused on strong visual hierarchy, intuitive navigation, consistent branding, and clear pathways for visitors to discover the resources most relevant to them.
02 – Website Evolution, 2016-2024
Over the years, Gates To Yoga went through several iterations as the business content and online offerings evolved. Each redesign gave me an opportunity to rethink the site’s structure, visual identity, and user experience based on the needs of the business and its audience.
2016 – Building the Online Experience
The 2016 version of Gates To Yoga was designed around building an online community and expanding the business beyond the local studio experience. The website brought together yoga classes, educational content, meditation resources, blog posts, and membership offerings in one centralized space.
The design focused on creating a warm, approachable visual identity while establishing clear navigation for an increasingly content-rich website.
2024 – Evolving the Brand & User Experience
By 2024, Gates To Yoga had evolved into a broader online wellness resource. The website was redesigned to reflect this shift, with a refreshed visual identity, updated content structure, and a more streamlined approach to navigation.
The redesign focused on making the growing collection of yoga, meditation, movement, and wellness resources easier to explore while creating a more smooth-flowing and modern visual experience.
03 – Visual Design & Branding
The visual identity of Gates To Yoga evolved alongside the business, while maintaining a consistent sense of calm, warmth, and approachability. Each version of the website used color and imagery to reflect the atmosphere of yoga and wellness while creating a welcoming experience for visitors.
2016 – Turquoise Color Palette & Logo
The original website color palette and logo were created by another graphic designer to create a fresh, energetic, and calming feel. The colors complemented the yoga and wellness focus of the business while giving the site a bright and approachable visual identity.
2024 – Purple, Gold & Earth Tone Color Palette & Logo
As Gates To Yoga evolved, the visual identity shifted toward a softer and sophisticated palette of light purple, gold and warm brown tones created by myself. The updated colors created a grounded, reflective feeling while giving the website a refreshed and contemporary appearance. I worked closely with another graphic designer to develop the new logo aligned with the updated brand identity.
04 – User Experience & Content Organization
As Gates To Yoga grew, the website became home to a large collection of yoga classes, videos, meditation practices, educational resources, articles, wellness content, and membership offerings. One of the main design challenges was organizing this content so it remained easy to explore without overwhelming visitors.
I focused on clear navigation, logical content organization, visual hierarchy, and intuitive pathways that helped visitors quickly find resources based on their interests and needs.
In addition to the public-facing website, I managed the online membership experience and created/managed yoga classes and video content, making the website an ongoing digital platform for delivering yoga education, practices, and wellness resources.
05 – Key Pages & Features
The Gates To Yoga website brought together yoga classes as “Three Keys to the Gates: Meditation, Movement, Mindset” including educational resources, videos and membership content. For each page, I maintained consistency of the Hero Images.
Key Takeaways
Gates To Yoga gave me the opportunity to design, manage, and continually evolve over more than a decade. Because I was also operating the business, I experienced firsthand how design decisions, content, technology, and user needs change as a business grows.
One of my biggest takeaways was learning how important organization and simplicity become as a website grows. Managing a large library of classes, videos, educational resources, and membership content taught me to continually evaluate how users find and interact with information.
This project also reflects my growth as a designer – from creating an initial business website to developing a more intentional approach to branding, visual design, content organization, and user experience.
In 2024, I transitioned the online yoga studio into a free platform due to my life goals being pulled elsewhere, because of this it is no longer being regularly updated. Gates To Yoga still exists for students to return to for previous educational resources.