Process

What it's actually like to work with us.

From first call to published website, the whole project takes 3-8 weeks depending on the complexity.

You'll spend roughly 6 hours on it. There are a few points where we need a decision from you, and we'll need some materials before the build starts. Here's the whole process, stage by stage.

We have a conversation.

A 30-minute call

What happens: A 30-minute call, usually with Charles. You tell us what you need, what's not currently working, and what you are trying to achieve. We tell you honestly whether we can help. If we are not the right fit, we say so on this call and point you towards someone who is. No pitch deck, no pressure, no second call to get to the same answer.
What we need from you: A rough sense of your problem and your timeline. No documents, just roughly 30 minutes of your time.
What you get: A straight answer on whether we are a good fit, and a clear idea of what working together would involve.

We scope the project.

2 to 3 days after the call

What happens: If we are a good fit, we write you a proposal. Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed start date. No hourly rates, no "starting from", no nasty surprises three weeks in. You see exactly which package you are on, what's included, how many pages, how many case studies, which self-service tools, and when it will launch. You read it, ask questions, and decide how you want to move forward.
What we need from you: Roughly 30 minutes on a Zoom call so we can walk you through it and answer any questions you might have.
What you get: A written proposal you can hold us to. Everything priced, scoped, and dated in one document.

We co-write the brief.

Roughly 1 week, at your pace

What happens: You fill in a structured briefing document. This is the most important hour you will spend on the whole project, because everything we design and write later starts from what you tell us here. It covers your buyers, your pricing, your differentiators, the questions you get asked constantly, and the work you are proud of. We built the questionnaire to force specifics, so it asks for numbers, names, and real examples rather than vague positioning.
What we need from you: The completed briefing document. Any existing brand assets, logos, photography, or copy you already have. Pricing you are willing to publish. Roughly 2 to 3 hours, and it is worth taking your time over it.
What you get: A clear, structured record of what your website needs to say and who it needs to speak to. This becomes the reference point for every decision that follows.
What can cause delays: This is the stage that is most likely to stall a project, because it does take time, and the build cannot start until it is done.

The website build starts.

3 to 8 weeks depending on your package

What happens: We design and build your website in staged reviews. Homepage first, then the inside pages, then the full site on a staging URL. Every stage has a short review call so nothing is a surprise at launch. You see progress as it happens, not as a big reveal at the end.
What we need from you: Feedback within 3 working days of each review, so we can keep momentum. Occasional decisions on wording or imagery.
What you get: A finished website on a private staging URL, ready to launch the moment you sign it off.

The website is launched.

Launch day, plus a walkthrough

What happens: We push the site live, connect your domain, set up email forwarding, submit the sitemap to Google, and walk you through the CMS on a recorded call so you can make edits yourself without waiting on us.
What we need from you: Access to your domain registrar, and 45 minutes for the walkthrough call.
What you get: A live website, a recorded walkthrough you can refer back to, and a written handover with everything documented.

Support

Ongoing

What happens: An ongoing hosting and support package starts the month after your website is live. From £25 a month depending on your package, billed quarterly. You come back to us when you need to change something, and you know you are covered.
What we need from you: A quick message whenever something needs changing or adding.
What you get: A live, hosted, maintained website, and a direct line back to the people who built it. No account managers, no ticket queue, no offshore team you have never met.

What to expect

Timelines, communication, and how we work together.

Every project is different, though the rhythm is usually the same.
Here's what you can count on.

Timeline and expectations

Typical

3-8 weeks

from signature to launch

Fastest we've built

2 weeks

When the client had copy and images ready, made decisions quickly, and the scope didn't move.

Longest it's taken

3 months

When we were waiting for the finished design brief and content, or the brief changed after the design was signed off.

The main thing that determines which end you land on is how quickly you can get us your content and sign-offs. We're open about this because it's the one part of the timeline you control, and the projects that move quickly are the ones where the client treats their input as urgent and important.

What it's like to work together

Communication

You'll get an update from Charles or Kathryn every week via email. Not a status dashboard you have to go and check.

Response times

We answer within one working day Monday-Friday.

Meetings

Across the whole project you may have up to 5 video calls, each around 30 minutes.

Who you'll deal with

You'll deal with Kathryn and Charles directly, and you may speak with Mike if we need more technical input.

Honesty

If we're behind, you'll hear it from us before you have to ask. If something you want isn't going to work, we'll say so and explain why, rather than building something incorrectly.

Fair questions, plain answers

Questions people ask us about the process.

Q1What if I don’t like the first version or the direction it’s going?

You see the work before it’s finished, not after. We share the design direction once we have built your homepage, before we build out the rest of the website. If the direction is wrong, we find out when it’s easy to change. The build includes a set number of revision rounds depending on your package. If it’s still not right after that, we don’t down tools and invoice you for more the moment you have a note. We’ll have a conversation to work out the best way forward.

Q2What if my priorities change halfway through?

We’d rather you tell us early. We can absorb small adjustments within reason. If the scope varies massively, we need to agree it in writing and we’ll tell you how much it will add to your investment and how the timeline might change.

Q3How much of my time is this really going to take?

You’ll need to spend about 6 hours in total. Most of it is light: reviewing, approving, answering questions. The heaviest single stretch is the briefing stage at the start and giving us your existing content. We tell you this upfront because “it’ll barely take any of your time” is what everyone says and it’s rarely true.

Q4What if we go over the timeline?

If the delay is ours, we tell you as soon as we know, and we don’t charge for our overrun. If the delay is yours, the timeline moves by however long we’re waiting, and we’ll flag it in writing. Most overruns come from waiting on content or sign-off, which is why we make a point of telling you exactly what we need and when.

Q5What happens at the end?

You own the domain and the website content. The website will exist in our hosting platform so we can make amends or additions for you, and if you ever need to move to another agency or take it in-house, we’ll hand over cleanly. We build it so you’re never trapped with us. Clients who stay, stay because they want to.

See all questions →

Taking on new projects for August

Ready when you are.

Book a 30-minute call. You tell us what you need. We tell you whether we can help, what it would cost, and what we'd do first.

Let's have a conversation →