Strategic call Why we never start with code
A website cannot be built on its own. Before any development starts we check one thing: do you have a proper brand guide in place? If you do, you are ready for website development. If you do not, we build that foundation first, because a website without a brand system underneath it communicates inconsistency, and at the premium level inconsistency reads as uncontrolled quality.
That check protects you. It is the difference between a site that looks nice for a season and a site that still represents you in three years.
A website that talks back
The websites we make are designed in Figma and built in Astro. They are a pleasure to use for one reason most agencies cannot offer: you can talk to your website in natural language. Your website becomes the single source of truth for your entire company. It is the place where the technicality of your design comes together, and therefore a foundation you can use for automation across your business. Your copy, your structure and your data live in one place, and your tools can draw from it.
That is where we make the difference. Not a prettier template, but a website that works as infrastructure.
The plan in three moves
First, we lay the foundation: the core of your business, the story, the pages. Second, we shape it: structure and style, then a complete design you approve in Figma. Third, we build and deliver: development in Astro, a review together, and the launch. Six phases in total, each with its own feedback moment. The detail is below, and you can download the full process as a PDF or copy it into your own AI assistant at the top of this page.
Phase 1: Foundation
We start by creating a moodboard and formulating a brand script. In the brand script we extract the core of your business, so the communication on the website makes sense to the person who has never heard your name. We also make a sitemap: we write down every page we believe your website needs to function, and how those pages connect.
When we agree on the sitemap, the pages, the connections between them, the brand script and the moodboard, we move on. Not before.
Phase 2: Wireframe and stylescape
In the second phase we take the sitemap and the brand script and merge them. Now we know what each page should communicate, piece by piece, and we use the brand script to make sure the result is a logical, psychological route that moves your visitors towards the actions you want.
The output is a wireframe. A wireframe deliberately contains no design elements yet. That way we can focus on the journey through the website, undistracted by colour and type.
In parallel we upgrade the moodboard from snippets and small experiments into a stylescape. A stylescape is not a brand guide yet. It is the selected mood, personalised to you and made tangible: still a sketched variant of the final design, but far more relevant. If you sometimes find it hard to visualise the direction a designer intends to take, this is the step that makes it click.
Phase 3: Brand guide and high-fidelity design
When the wireframe and the stylescape are both right, we concretise the stylescape into a brand guide. This is where we spend real time, so your style exists as a deliverable you own, not as something locked in a designer’s head.
Then we merge the brand guide and the wireframe. The result is a high-fidelity website design in Figma. Depending on the budget we design the homepage and perhaps one other page that needs heavy design. If you are on the exclusive side, not looking to save on budget but looking for quality, we design every page in full detail in Figma.
Phase 4: Build in Astro
When we agree on the design, we start building. The site is developed in Astro: fast, accessible, easy to edit and ready for search from day one. This is a phase in which you are a little less involved. We build what you approved.
Phase 5: Delivery, chiselling and going live
Then we deliver, and you look at the website. We are people, not robots, so there will be mistakes. Some chiselling is still needed. When you look at the site and feel that something is not completely on par yet, or you spot alignment issues, which are natural in handmade work, you tell us in a call. We go through everything together and take out every bug. When the bugs are out and you are happy with the result, we publish it live.
How feedback and changes work
The phases are separate on purpose. Every time a phase is ready there is a moment for you to give feedback, and when you agree, we move the project further. Keep in mind that later phases are built on what you agreed earlier. If you change your mind about something we already agreed on, we cannot guarantee the deadlines we set, and we cannot stick to the original budget either, because accommodating the change costs extra resources. Changing your mind is completely fine. We only ask that you know what it means before you do.
What you end up with
A website that looks, reads and feels like the company you really are. Clients who sense your quality before the first conversation. A source of truth your team and your automations can rely on. And a style you own, documented in a brand guide, so every next touchpoint stays consistent.
Ready to start with the foundation? Plan a strategic call and we will tell you honestly whether your brand is ready for development or what needs to happen first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a brand guide before you build my website?
Yes. A website built without a brand system underneath it communicates inconsistency. If you do not have one, we build it in the foundation phase first: brand script, moodboard, sitemap, then stylescape and brand guide. If you already have one, you are ready for design and development.
What makes a website built in Astro different?
Speed, editability and structure. The site becomes a source of truth for your company that you can talk to in natural language and connect to your automations. It is also ready for search and AI visibility from day one, with no plugin stack to maintain.
How much does a professional website cost in Amsterdam?
It depends on scope. Smaller projects start around EUR 4,000, while larger, CMS-driven platforms can reach EUR 20,000 or more. Whether we design only the homepage in Figma or every page in detail is the main driver, and we agree that scope in phase one.
How long does it take to launch a new website?
Simple projects launch in four to six weeks. Larger builds take a few months. Each phase ends with a feedback moment, so the pace also depends on how quickly agreements are made. Rushed jobs lead to sloppy results, so we would rather build it right the first time.
What happens if I change my mind halfway?
That is fine, and it happens. Later phases are built on earlier agreements, so a change means extra work. Agreed deadlines and the original budget then no longer hold. We tell you what the change costs before we make it, so there are no surprises.