Upfront
Design Directions

Ten ways your site can look — and what's different behind each one.

Two websites that look different are usually built differently too. Here's every direction we build in, described for business owners, not designers — including what the design means for the machinery behind it.

  1. 01

    Big Photo First

    One stunning full-screen photo, a few confident words, one button.

    How it feels

    The first thing a visitor sees is your best photograph filling the whole screen — the food, the space, the finished job. Words stay short. It feels expensive because it holds back.

    Behind the design

    Behind the scenes this design lives or dies on image handling: photos are automatically compressed and resized for phones so the site stays fast even with huge pictures. The build budget goes into that, not into extra pages.

    Works well for: Restaurants, venues, photographers, jewellers, wineries — anywhere the product is beautiful.

  2. 02

    Straight to the Point

    The menu, the prices, the hours — before anything else.

    How it feels

    No storytelling, no scrolling adventure. A visitor lands and immediately sees what you offer and what it costs. It respects hungry, busy people.

    Behind the design

    The backend here is a self-service editor: you change a price or a dish yourself and it's live in seconds. The engineering goes into making updates so easy you'll actually keep the site current.

    Works well for: Cafes, takeaway, barbers, service businesses with clear price lists.

  3. 03

    Dark & Expensive

    Dark background, gold or ivory details, slow and confident.

    How it feels

    The site feels like walking into a dim, well-lit bar — everything is deliberate, nothing is crowded. Prices feel justified before anyone reads them.

    Behind the design

    Technically this pairs with booking or enquiry flows tuned for higher-ticket decisions: deposits, consultations, date checks — because businesses that look like this rarely sell on impulse.

    Works well for: Fine dining, tattoo studios, high-end salons, premium trades, law firms.

  4. 04

    Loud Words, No Photos Needed

    Huge type does the talking — great when photography isn't your strength.

    How it feels

    Instead of photos, the design uses very large, confident text and strong colour. Perfect when your work is invisible (accounting, IT, automation) or your photos aren't ready yet.

    Behind the design

    With no gallery to maintain, the backend budget shifts to conversion machinery: calculators, quote forms, booking calendars. The words sell; the systems close.

    Works well for: Accountants, brokers, IT support, consultants, agencies, security services.

  5. 05

    Half Story, Half Action

    Photo on one side, booking or enquiry on the other — always visible.

    How it feels

    The screen is split: your story on the left, the thing you want people to do (book, enquire, order) permanently on the right. Nobody has to hunt for the button.

    Behind the design

    The action panel is wired straight into a real system — a live calendar, a quote engine, an order form. This design only works if that panel genuinely works, so that's where the build goes.

    Works well for: Clinics, salons, driving schools, mortgage brokers — booking-driven businesses.

  6. 06

    The Work Speaks

    A wall of your work, tightly organised — portfolio as homepage.

    How it feels

    Dozens of jobs, dishes or pieces in a clean grid the moment someone arrives. Tap any one for the full story. It says: we've done this many, many times.

    Behind the design

    The backend is a gallery you manage from your phone — take a photo of today's job, upload, done. Tagging and filtering (by suburb, style, service) is built in so the grid stays useful as it grows.

    Works well for: Landscapers, builders, tattoo artists, cake makers, detailers, photographers.

  7. 07

    One Long Story

    A single page that scrolls like a story — no menus to get lost in.

    How it feels

    Everything on one page in a deliberate order: who you are, proof, prices, how to start. The visitor never decides where to click next — you decide for them.

    Behind the design

    Structurally the simplest, which makes it the fastest-loading option on the list — and the cheapest to build well. The backend focus is speed and a single, unmissable contact flow.

    Works well for: New businesses, musicians, single-service trades, anyone launching fast on a budget.

  8. 08

    Feels Like an App

    Built around doing, not reading — book, order, pay in a few taps.

    How it feels

    The site behaves like the apps people already use: big buttons, instant feedback, no page reloads. Reading is optional; doing is the point.

    Behind the design

    This is the most backend-heavy direction: real-time availability, accounts, payments, order state. You're not buying pages, you're buying a small piece of software with your logo on it.

    Works well for: Gyms and studios, online ordering, multi-practitioner clinics, membership businesses.

  9. 09

    The Friendly Local

    Warm colours, real faces, handwriting touches — the anti-corporate look.

    How it feels

    It looks like the business it belongs to: photos of actual staff, warm paper-like colours, nothing glossy. Visitors feel like regulars before they've been in.

    Behind the design

    Backend priorities are community features: newsletters, events, loyalty, reviews from real locals. The systems support the relationship the design promises.

    Works well for: Cafes, bakeries, florists, childcare, community groups, family businesses.

  10. 10

    The Magazine

    Looks like a beautiful publication — for businesses that sell expertise.

    How it feels

    Serif headlines, generous white space, long-form articles presented like a quality magazine. It positions you as the authority who wrote the book.

    Behind the design

    The engine is a publishing system: articles, guides and case studies that are easy to write and that Google indexes properly. This design is an SEO strategy wearing nice clothes.

    Works well for: Lawyers, financial planners, psychologists, consultants, medical specialists.

Not sure which one fits your business?

Find your business type — each pricing page shows the directions that tend to win for businesses like yours, and you can always tell us in the order brief which one caught your eye.