Kate Mickley
WEBSITE DESIGNER
HOW IT STARTED...
In late 2023, Elevate Outdoor Living, a small, family-owned business, welcomed me with open arms and truly changed the course of my career. From the beginning I was an excellent fit - with some experience in every part of the job. As a child, I often assisted my mother with her small business, I even edited her website on Wix back in the early 2010's! My diverse background in customer service, sales, HR, and even the countless hours I spent playing the Sims4, gave me much of the knowledge I needed as I was just beginning the job.
WORK EXPERIENCE...
Though my official title at Elevate was Client Success Coordinator, I quickly found myself wearing many hats: managing client communication, coordinating project logistics, supporting branding and marketing efforts, maintaining and improving two company websites, preparing building permit applications, and even creating 2D and 3D landscape designs for high-end outdoor living spaces. As I grew into the role, I took on more responsibility and received hands-on training in client management, SEO, design, and video production.
HOW I USE THE KNOWLEDGE I GAINED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE...
The team culture at Elevate gave me the confidence to step into my strengths and, eventually, build something of my own. That’s what led me to create Kate Just Clicks—a digital design studio where I bring together everything I’ve learned to help small business owners create websites that are clean, strategic, and easy to manage, while continuing to learn and grow along the way. I’ve seen firsthand how the right support can fuel growth, and now I want to build websites that do the same for others.
Elevate websites I created/refreshed
kate before the clicks
Before stepping into the design world, I built my professional experience in customer service, sales, and human resources; fields that gave me a strong foundation in communication and collaborative problem-solving. I also studied computer science throughout high school and during my time at Central Michigan University, which gave me the technical skills I would later apply in more creative, digital work.
my favorite off-line activities
I love traveling and discovering new places, especially in the great outdoors. The photo here was taken at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, home to the world’s longest cave system (and yes, it really lives up to the name!). I also enjoy playing golf and tennis, relaxing at the beach, camping under the stars, and swimming in any body of water I can find; especially with heatwaves keeping Michigan in a chokehold this summer.
get to know me IRL
mental health awareness
Just incase anyone needs to hear this: you matter, you’re not alone, and the world is better with you in it. If you're having a tough time, I highly encourage you to take a look at the resources below—they're here to help.
CDC - Mental Health Resources
Call 988 - National Suicide Prevention Line
photography
You might’ve noticed all the floral backgrounds, those are my own photos! Some are from the Holland Tulip Festival this spring, others are from spontaneous rose-sniffing detours over the years.
+ a quick thank you
Surrounding yourself with the right people makes all the difference. I’m endlessly grateful for my support system; my mom, dad, stepmom, sisters, roommates, my amazing therapist, and so many others. I truly wouldn’t be who I am today without every one of them.
HOW I GOT INTO WEB DESIGN
Jo Anne Hinds PLC
This project involved a complete website refresh for Jo Anne Hinds, PLC, a Michigan-based estate planning attorney. The original website (built on Weebly) was outdated and no longer aligned with the brand’s updated identity. I recreated the entire site in Wix, implementing a new design that matched her printed materials and reflected the warmth and professionalism of her practice. Using a mix of reused and newly written content (with my support), I built out 8 custom SEO & mobile optimized pages.
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Elevate Pool & Spa
While working at Elevate, I was given the opportunity to create a brand-new website for a sister company, Elevate Pool & Spa. I built this site from the ground up—handling everything from brand creation and logo design to the full site layout, mobile responsiveness, SEO setup, and long-term maintenance. Though it was a collaborative team effort, I led the creative direction and did the majority of the execution. The result is a clean, modern, and strategic website that reflects the brand and appeals to a high-end client base.
Elevate Outdoor Living
When I joined Elevate Outdoor Living, I stepped into the task of refreshing and maintaining their existing Wix website. Though the site had already been built, I took over ownership of the design and content direction—first by updating the existing structure, then by implementing larger improvements over time. This project gave me a deep understanding of Wix and its advanced features, as well as hands-on experience managing a website for a high-end, service-based business.
EDUCATION &
EXPERIENCE
Before I started Kate Just Clicks, I was working with a small, family-owned business doing a little bit of everything—updating their website, collaborating on branding and marketing, designing 3D landscape projects, and handling client communication and project logistics from start to finish. I came into the role during a really tough time in my life, and it ended up being the turning point I didn't know I needed. With the support of the team (and a lot of help from my therapist and loved ones), I started rebuilding confidence in myself—and rediscovering the strategic, creative, and problem-solving side of me that had been buried for a while.
With a background in computer science and a deep appreciation for clear communication, I found that web design was the perfect blend of logic, creativity, and connection. Now, through Kate Just Clicks, I get to combine those strengths to help other small business owners bring their vision to life online. I care about making websites that not only look beautiful, but also just click—sites that reflect who you are and support where you're going.
education
I studied computer science at the college level all throughout high school, which led me to enroll at Central Michigan University as a computer science major. I’ve always had a love for solving problems and building things that work, and that technical background gave me a strong foundation in logic, structure, and digital tools. While I was working in the field, I was fortunate to receive even more training in design software, 3D visualization, client experience, and business operations.
experience
While working for a small, high-end outdoor living company, I had the chance to dive into just about every part of running a business. I collaborated on website projects, helped shape branding and marketing strategies, and created detailed 3D landscape designs to bring client visions to life. I also handled client communication, scheduling, and project logistics—so I learned quickly how to balance creativity with clarity, and how important it is to build trust through thoughtful communication. I gained a deeper understanding of how businesses operate behind the scenes and what it means to deliver a high-end experience with care and consistency. That experience gave me a real-world foundation I still lean on every day.
RECENT PROJECTS