Strategy, design and development, in one pair of hands.
Websites and systems for established businesses.
Drag the strips
Independent · Founder-led · Kāpiti Coast
you speak to the person who does the work. I’m based in Paraparaumu Beach, on the Kāpiti Coast, and take on a handful of projects at a time.
The first website I built was for an early business venture. Building it, I began studying how established brands communicate: less through words than through signs, symbols and colour, chosen down to the exact hex code. That’s the work I bring to yours: finding the perception that resonates with your ideal customer, then building it into a brand and a website that move your business towards its goals. Right now, Cleland Studio is me; as it grows, I expect to bring in specialists to help with particular projects.
One person, accountable for every layer.
Four practices held by one person, so nothing is lost between them.
I stress-test the assumptions with you and map the project before you invest, focused on what will actually move the needle.
In practice
Before changing anything on Patu Photography, I mapped the buying path and recorded every snag.
See the case study: Patu PhotographyWhat makes you different becomes a design no template could give you.
In practice
For LH Barbershop, the headline typeface was extended to carry every Spanish accent.
See the case study: LH BarbershopEach page leads a visitor from curious to convinced, answers objections early and makes the next step obvious.
In practice
Topp Shelf’s only ask is a callback, in Clinton’s own words: the smallest step into a real conversation.
See the case study: Topp Shelf BuildingTechnical SEO, structured data and a structure search engines can understand and trust.
In practice
Topp Shelf and LH Barbershop both shipped with structured data and a sitemap.
View all case studiesBuilt by me. For the way I work.
01.
A free, guided diagnostic. After you submit it, I research your market and competitors, and you receive a written analysis. By the time we speak, I’ve studied it.
02.
Every decision, record and status in one place: the current stage, your proposal and its history, and your invoices, visible at all times. Messages are answered within one business day.
03.
Each C.R.A.F.T. stage unlocks only when the work from the one before it exists, so progress is shown rather than promised. I only ask for a review once every core stage is complete.
A person, not a pipeline.
Web designer and founder, Cleland Studio
Strategist, designer, developer.
The belief behind every project.
Beautiful isn’t the job. A good website earns trust and makes you the obvious choice.
My commitments
Three promises that hold on every project.
Good work starts with the right questions. You get a fixed-scope proposal with a clear price before any paid work begins, and you approve the design before I build.
You see the thinking and the progress. Your portal shows the current stage, decisions and next steps, so you never have to chase the work.
Built for you to own, understand and move forward with: logins, documentation and the knowledge to run it.
I’m not the right fit for everyone, and that’s intentional.
I don’t make template websites, or compete with the cheapest quote.
I’m not the right partner for projects that need a committee to approve every detail.
I work best with established, founder-led businesses whose work is better than their website says.
