Enhancing user experience: case study of Ralph Daub photography
Business
Services
Platforms
The Business
Ralph Daub Photography is a fine art photography business based in Columbia River Gorge in the Pacific Northwest. Specializing in landscape, wilderness, and adventure photography, Ralph offers a range of products, including fine art prints, custom photography prints, calendars, and an engaging adventure photo blog. His mission is to bring the beauty of nature into homes and offices, allowing people to experience the serenity of the outdoors through art.
As Ralph's photography business grew over the last six years, he needed a website that matched the professional quality of his work, especially when it came to presenting his photographs online. However, the default Lightbox functionality in Squarespace didn't offer the features he needed to showcase his art in the best possible way.
The Challenge
Limited user experience with Squarespace's stock lightbox
Initially, Ralph relied on Squarespace’s built-in Lightbox. While functional, the tool was very basic. “The default Lightbox interface in Squarespace is minimalistic,” Ralph explains, “lacking in basic functionality such as pinch-to-zoom and scrolling through images. This led to a less-than-ideal user experience on my site, especially on mobile devices.”
For a business that revolves around the visual impact of photography, having these limitations meant Ralph wasn’t delivering the premium experience his customers expected. He needed a solution to allow his users to interact more seamlessly with his images—especially for product pages, where fine details could make or break a sale.
The Solution
Beyondspace Lightbox Studio plugin
Ralph discovered the Beyondspace Lightbox Studio plugin, which offered the functionality he needed and more. “Lightbox Studio seamlessly integrates with my site, providing all the features I could ever ask for in a Lightbox integration,” Ralph says.
The integration was straightforward and quick. Ralph describes the installation process as “magic,” saying, “It was incredibly easy! The easiest plugin I've had the pleasure of installing on my site. Add a code snippet to the Code Injection panel, refresh, and the plugin installer takes over.”
With Beyondspace Lightbox Studio, Ralph was finally able to deliver an interactive experience that matched the quality of his art. Users can now click or tap on product images to zoom in and examine the fine details, a feature that wasn’t possible before. “This resulted in a more professional end product, especially for users on mobile devices,” Ralph notes.
Ralph Daub Product lightbox
The Transformation
Better user experience, fewer images
One of the biggest improvements came on Ralph’s product pages. Before using the Lightbox Studio plugin, he had to upload multiple close-up photos of his products to give customers a better view. But with the new zoom functionality, his images could do the work they were meant to do. “I no longer need to upload numerous close-up images,” Ralph explains. “Users can now zoom in to take a closer look at the details.”
This change has streamlined his workflow while enhancing the customer experience. With an optimized, intuitive Lightbox, Ralph can ensure his visitors stay on the site longer and are more engaged with the content.
Turning blog into photo journal
Another feature that made a big difference for Ralph’s site is the connected lightboxes. Ralph runs an adventure photo blog, where he shares stories about his photography journeys, capturing the wild beauty of landscapes. The connected lightbox feature from Lightbox Studio allows Ralph to link all the images across the post into a single, seamless gallery.
This feature truly turns his blog into a photo journal, improving the experience for users who can now scroll through his stunning visuals as one cohesive collection, even if the images are spread across multiple paragraphs.
Ralph Daub photo journal
“I purchased and have been using the Lightbox Studio from Beyondspace for a few years now, and it’s one of my favorite plugins on my site - really!
What makes even better is the developer was very responsive and attentive the couple of times I ran into an issue. The issue was (even though it was years after my original purchase).
Both times the issue was resolved quickly. Not only that, but he even brought to my attention a new feature that was added to the Plugin, that I didn’t know about!
It’s a good feeling to know you’re purchasing something that will continue working years down the line, and that you’re supporting an independent developer along the way!”
Comparison with Competitors
Why Beyondspace stood out
Although Ralph didn’t consider many competitors at the time, he's confident that he made the right choice. “I’m very happy I ended up with Beyondspace Lightbox Studio,” Ralph shares. “The plugin’s quality, attentive customer support, and knowing I’m supporting a small business made it an easy decision.”
Beyondspace also provided the level of support that Ralph needed, offering clear documentation and assistance that went beyond his expectations. “Customer support has been fantastic,” he says.
Ralph Daub Product lightbox
The Takeaway
For Ralph, the Beyondspace Lightbox Studio plugin was an investment that instantly improved his site’s user experience. His advice to other business owners? “Don’t think twice—just get it! If you have Lightbox images on your site, this plugin will improve the user experience, especially for mobile users, which is so important these days.”
With a one-time cost and easy integration, the plugin is a no-brainer for those looking to elevate their image galleries and product pages.
