''' As a senior-only team, we have a limited number of project slots. We can’t build a new website for every Seattle business that contacts us. Over the years, we’ve developed a filter for new projects. It isn't about exclusivity. It’s about ensuring we can deliver a business-changing result.
Saying "no" to a potential client is never easy. But we do it when we know we aren’t the right fit. Accepting a project where we can't succeed is bad for everyone. It wastes the client's budget and our time. We prefer to be direct from the start.
This is our checklist for taking on new web design and marketing projects. It is the same framework we use when a craft brewery in Ballard or a Bellevue tech startup asks to work with us.
Do You Have a Business Problem, Not a Task List?
We are not a task-based shop. We don’t take orders for a new homepage or a different color palette. We solve business problems. Our work is about increasing qualified leads, improving conversion rates, or streamlining customer intake. The design and code are how we achieve the goal, not the goal itself.
A prospective client who comes to us with a detailed list of design "to-dos" is usually not a good fit. It suggests they have already decided on the solution without a proper diagnosis. Our value is in the diagnosis. We need the space to analyze your business and your customers, then recommend the most effective path forward.
For example, a Tacoma law firm might ask for a "more modern" website. Our first question is, "Why?" A better goal is "We need to attract more clients for our estate planning practice." That’s a business problem we can solve. The "modern" design is just one tool in the kit.
Is the Trust There?
Our best work happens when a client trusts our expertise. This is the foundation of a successful partnership. When trust is missing, the project gets bogged down in micromanagement and second-guessing. This slows down the work and leads to a compromised, design-by-committee result.
We build this trust by being transparent and direct. We explain our reasoning for every major decision. We show our work. We use data to support our recommendations, whether it’s from user testing, analytics, or market research.
We once had a prospective client question every line item in our proposal, not for clarity, but from a place of deep suspicion. They had been burned by a previous agency. We understood their hesitation, but we knew we couldn't rebuild that trust and a complex website at the same time. We politely declined the project.
Building a website for your Puget Sound business is a significant investment. You must trust the team you hire. If we aren
Seattle, WA
A full-service digital agency working in WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, Webflow, React, and React Native. We partner with universities, governments, and growing brands to ship sites and products that hold up after launch.
