Sustainable by design, not as an afterthought.
A website's footprint is set by decisions made long before launch: how much it sends, how it's built and where it's hosted. We make those decisions on purpose.
Why it matters
Every time someone opens a web page, data travels from a data centre, across networks, to their device, and every step uses electricity. Pages have grown much heavier over the past decade, mostly with oversized images, unused code and scripts the visitor never asked for.
A lighter site uses less energy on every single visit. It also loads faster on slow connections and older phones, ranks better in search and is cheaper to host. Sustainability and good design point the same way.
What we commit to on every project
- A page-weight budget, agreed with you up front
- Accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA
- No advertising or tracking scripts unless you ask for them
- Before-and-after measurements, shared with you at launch
Six practices behind every site
None of these are exotic. They're just applied consistently, from the first sketch to the last line of code.
Lean pages
We design with the content you have, use system-friendly type and keep scripts to a minimum. If something doesn't help a visitor, it doesn't ship.
Images that earn their place
Fewer, better images in modern formats, sized for the screen they appear on and loaded only when they're needed.
Greener hosting
We help you choose hosting powered by renewable energy, close to your audience, with caching that avoids repeat work.
Accessible to everyone
Clear structure, good contrast and full keyboard support. An accessible site is usually a simpler, lighter one too.
Respect for privacy
Analytics that count visits without following people around the web. Fewer third-party requests means less data sent, too.
Built to last
Standards-based code, a design system you own and care that keeps it healthy, so you aren't rebuilding every three years.
Sustainability at every step
The same five steps as any project with us, with the footprint considered at each one.
-
1
A conversation
We learn what your visitors actually need, which is the best way to avoid building what they don't.
-
2
Proposal and budget
Alongside the price, we agree a page-weight budget for your key pages.
-
3
Design and build
We design in the browser and measure as we go, so weight never creeps in unnoticed.
-
4
Launch
Final checks for speed, accessibility and estimated carbon per visit, shared with you.
-
5
Care
A yearly check-up keeps your site lean as content grows.
Giving back
We're a small studio, so we only promise what we can keep. These are the commitments we make every year, and we report back on them here.
- Reduced rates for registered charities, not-for-profits and community groups.
- One pro bono project each year for a community organisation that couldn't otherwise afford a website.
- Everything we learn shared freely in Field Notes, with no paywall and no email sign-up.
- A short update on this page each year saying what we gave, and to whom.
Curious what your current site weighs?
Send us the address. We'll measure it and tell you, plainly, what would make the biggest difference.