Case study
Everstead: from template to identity
Everstead is a US digital studio that wanted to scale. Their old site did not show what they were capable of: light ground, purple accent, three service cards, four numbered circles labelled "our methodical approach". Nothing about it was badly made, and that was exactly the problem, because nothing about it was theirs. Talking it through, we landed somewhere simple. For a studio that sells design, the site is not a brochure. It is the demonstration.
- Type
- Agency site
- Role
- Full redesign
- Scope
- Identity, structure, build
BeforeAfter
The site had to prove it, not describe it
That was the decision we reached before the first mockup: what people see has to reflect what the team can actually do. A design studio that looks like a template contradicts itself. The redesign started there, taking out anything that could have belonged to another agency.
An identity nobody confuses
Near-black ground, condensed display type at enormous scale, and a single gold accent. One accent forces the trade-offs: when only one colour can pull the eye, you have to decide what actually matters on each screen. The services, previously three cards, became a blunt nine-line list.
A process you move through, not one you read
The four "methodical approach" circles gave way to a six-stage sequence, discovery through to launch, that unfolds as the visitor scrolls. You advance through the method instead of reading a summary of it. The "who we build for" grid then answers the only question a prospect actually has: have you worked for someone like me.
What happened next
The day after launch, Everstead came back to me: their own prospects were reacting to the new site. Some went further and asked whether they could have those animations on their projects. For a studio that sells design, that is the result that counts. The site stopped describing what they can do and started generating demand for it.