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Website design for brands, studios and practices

For businesses that don’t sell online but still need people to choose them. We design and build websites that say what you do in plain words, so the right people feel sure enough to reach out.

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5.0 ★ on Google · Shopify stores for Zourani, VYOLA and Thereza Pedrosa Gallery · Led by Karina Paviotti, who worked in product design at Uber, helping shape payment experiences for drivers.

Why it matters

What do we do when you need a website?

We plan, design and build your website: what it says, how it’s structured, every page and the way people contact or book you. We work with coaches, therapists, salons, artists, studios and freelancers whose clients look them up before they get in touch. Your site is built in Framer or WordPress, and you can update it yourself after launch.

We plan, design and build your website: what it says, how it’s structured, every page and the way people contact or book you. We work with coaches, therapists, salons, artists, studios and freelancers whose clients look them up before they get in touch. Your site is built in Framer or WordPress, and you can update it yourself after launch.

Who it's for

When are we the right fit?

A good fit

We’re a good match when:

✓

People decide about you on your website. They hear your name from a friend, on Instagram or in a search, and they look you up before they call, book or send a message.

✓

You can explain your work in a conversation, but your site doesn’t. Or you don’t have a site yet, and you know a template won’t say what you’d say yourself.

✓

You want the thinking, not just a nicer look. Someone who asks who your clients are and what they need to believe, before anyone picks a font.

✓

You want to manage it yourself afterwards. New texts, a new service, a new photo, without having to call a developer.

Not for us

And honestly, we’re not the right fit when:

×

You sell products online, or plan to soon. Then you need a store, and it’s better to build that once. See Shopify store design.

×

You want someone to run your ads. We don’t, on purpose. We make sure your site turns visitors into enquiries, and we’re happy to refer a media buyer we trust.

A story

Why does your website decide whether people contact you?

Because most people make up their mind before they ever speak to you. Someone recommends you, and the first thing the other person does is look you up. In that minute they’re asking two quiet questions: is this the right person for me, and is this for real? Nobody tells you when the answer was no. They simply don’t book.

Karina knows that minute from the other side. She once went to buy one specific rose, sold by only one shop in the Netherlands. The site looked like a scam, so she left and bought other flowers somewhere else. The product was exactly what she wanted. The site lost the sale anyway.

Before starting Design by Karina, she worked in product design at Uber, helping shape payment experiences for drivers. That work taught her that people decide on trust long before they notice the design. A website for a coach, a practice or a studio works the same way. It has to answer their questions first, in the visitor’s own words, and only then look beautiful.

That’s why every website project starts with what your visitors need to know. The design follows from it.

Because most people make up their mind before they ever speak to you. Someone recommends you, and the first thing the other person does is look you up. In that minute they’re asking two quiet questions: is this the right person for me, and is this for real? Nobody tells you when the answer was no. They simply don’t book.

Karina knows that minute from the other side. She once went to buy one specific rose, sold by only one shop in the Netherlands. The site looked like a scam, so she left and bought other flowers somewhere else. The product was exactly what she wanted. The site lost the sale anyway.

Before starting Design by Karina, she worked in product design at Uber, helping shape payment experiences for drivers. That work taught her that people decide on trust long before they notice the design. A website for a coach, a practice or a studio works the same way. It has to answer their questions first, in the visitor’s own words, and only then look beautiful.

That’s why every website project starts with what your visitors need to know. The design follows from it.

What's inside

Website building: what’s included?

A website project with us is called a Brand Site. It follows the same process as our Shopify stores, without the shop. This is what you get:

A website project with us is called a Brand Site. It follows the same process as our Shopify stores, without the shop. This is what you get:

Strategy before design

  • A strategy session about your business, your clients, your goals and the sites you like or don’t.

  • A written brief: who your visitors are, what they need to believe before they get in touch, and the one thing you want them to do.

  • A sitemap you approve before anything is designed, so every page has a reason to be there.

Design and build

  • A design for your brand, not a template with your logo on it, built on the platform that fits your business.

  • The pages your clients need: Home, About, Services or Work (or a gallery), Contact and your policies.

  • A contact or booking form, connected to the way you already take enquiries and bookings.

  • Every screen reviewed on mobile, because that’s where most people will look you up.

Words, setup and launch

  • Your copy polished in one language: clearer, in your tone, without mistakes.

  • Base SEO: page titles, meta descriptions, headings and alt text, so Google understands what each page is about.

  • Analytics installed, so you can see how people find you.

  • A full check before launch, then we launch together.

  • A training video and 30 days of support, so you’re never left alone with a new website.

Copy written from scratch, a second language or photography aren’t part of the standard scope. Tell us on the call if you need them, and we’ll tell you honestly what fits.

Why it matters

Framer, WordPress or Shopify: which platform is right for your website?

We choose the platform with you, based on what your site has to do and who will update it.

  • Framer suits most brand sites: you get full design freedom, fast pages, and editing that feels like changing text in a document. Read more in What is Framer?.

  • WordPress makes sense when you already work with it, or when you need a large content library or a specific plugin.

Planning to sell online later? Tell us now. We’ll build you a store from day one instead. Building twice is the one thing we’ll always talk you out of, even when it would pay us more.

Pricing

What drives the cost of a website?

Every website has one price, agreed before we start and never billed by the hour. We share it on the intro call, and your proposal lists every item next to its price, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. What moves the number:

Every website has one price, agreed before we start and never billed by the hour. We share it on the intro call, and your proposal lists every item next to its price, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. What moves the number:

The number of pages

and whether some of them are one-offs or a template that repeats (like a page per service).

Content you manage yourself

such as a blog, a portfolio or case pages.

Forms, booking and integrations

like an intake form, a calendar or a newsletter sign-up.

Languages

A second language is more than a translation: every page, menu and form gets its own version.

Your copy

Polishing what you have takes less time than writing every page from scratch.

Images

Whether your photos are ready, or the site has to work with what’s there.

For a wider look at the market, read How much does a website cost?.

Good question for the call

Not sure what your site needs? That’s what the intro call is for.

Book a call

How we work

How does a website project run?

Four steps, no mystery. You approve each one before we move on, and you always know which one we’re on.

Four steps, no mystery. You approve each one before we move on, and you always know which one we’re on.

Iced coffee in a takeaway cup printed with a custom brand logo

1. Book the intro call

A free 30-minute call. You tell us about your business, your clients and what your current site isn’t doing, and we ask a lot of questions.

  • You: tell us how people find you today and what you’d like them to do.

  • We: give you an honest view, even if that view is that you don’t need a new site yet.

Café brand identity: menus, cards and labels in red, green and cream

2. Decide what it says

We work out who your visitors are, what they need to believe and what’s stopping them from getting in touch. That becomes a written brief and a sitemap, and you approve both before anything is designed.

  • You: share your story, your services and the questions clients always ask.

  • We: turn that into a structure where every page has a job.

Branded café packaging: a tray with a wrapped sandwich, a drink and a coaster

3. Design and build

Your pages are designed around that brief, then built and tested on every screen size. Forms, booking and analytics are in place before launch.

  • You: review the design, send your texts and photos, and give feedback in rounds.

  • We: design, build, polish your copy and set up the base SEO.

Branded takeaway box and coffee cups next to a printed receipt

4. Launch, then learn

We launch together, and you get a training video and 30 days of support, so updating the site yourself feels normal from week one.

  • You: go live and share the new site.

  • We: stay close for the first month and fix anything that comes up.

Selected work

Websites we’ve designed

Peligrosa Fit

fitness studio for women · Website

Personal training, small groups, nutrition coaching and infrared training, built around personal attention and women who train together. Fitness websites often lean on hard selling and generic gym photos. We designed this one around how the studio feels instead: warm beige tones, one photo style across every service, and six services that each lead to a free intro session. A visitor knows what to expect before she books. Visit peligrosafit.nl

Personal training, small groups, nutrition coaching and infrared training, built around personal attention and women who train together. Fitness websites often lean on hard selling and generic gym photos. We designed this one around how the studio feels instead: warm beige tones, one photo style across every service, and six services that each lead to a free intro session. A visitor knows what to expect before she books. Visit peligrosafit.nl

Karina Paviotti, founder of Design by Karina

The studio

Who will you work with?

5.0 ★ on Google.

Karina Paviotti is the founder of Design by Karina, a boutique Shopify agency in Rotterdam. Before starting the studio, she worked in product design at Uber, shaping payment experiences for drivers. Today she leads every project, from strategy to launch, for business owners in fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

On website projects that means you work directly with Karina, from the first call to the day your site goes live. More about the studio.

Where to next

Websites by type and by audience

Every business looks a little different online. These pages go deeper:

Every business looks a little different online. These pages go deeper:

Business website

Website redesign

Framer website

One-page website

Portfolio website

Website for coaches

Website for therapists and practices

Website for beauty salons

Website for artists

Website for interior designers and architects

Website for photographers

Website for freelancers

Questions

Frequently asked questions

It depends on what your site has to do: how many pages, whether you manage a blog or portfolio yourself, forms and booking, a second language, and how ready your texts and photos are. Every project has one fixed price, agreed before we start and never billed by the hour. We share it on the intro call, and your proposal lists every item next to its price.

D

How much does it cost to have a website made?

It depends on what your site has to do: how many pages, whether you manage a blog or portfolio yourself, forms and booking, a second language, and how ready your texts and photos are. Every project has one fixed price, agreed before we start and never billed by the hour. We share it on the intro call, and your proposal lists every item next to its price.

D

How much does it cost to have a website made?

It depends on what your site has to do: how many pages, whether you manage a blog or portfolio yourself, forms and booking, a second language, and how ready your texts and photos are. Every project has one fixed price, agreed before we start and never billed by the hour. We share it on the intro call, and your proposal lists every item next to its price.

D

How much does it cost to have a website made?

It depends on the scope, and honestly also on how ready your content is. Photos and texts are usually what slows a project down, much more than the design. Once we know both, your proposal gives you an exact timeline, and we treat it as a commitment, not an estimate.

D

How long does it take to build a website?

It depends on the scope, and honestly also on how ready your content is. Photos and texts are usually what slows a project down, much more than the design. Once we know both, your proposal gives you an exact timeline, and we treat it as a commitment, not an estimate.

D

How long does it take to build a website?

It depends on the scope, and honestly also on how ready your content is. Photos and texts are usually what slows a project down, much more than the design. Once we know both, your proposal gives you an exact timeline, and we treat it as a commitment, not an estimate.

D

How long does it take to build a website?

Yes, that's part of the plan from the start. We choose a platform you can manage, and you get a training video and 30 days of support after launch. Changing a text, adding a service or swapping a photo shouldn't need a developer.

D

Can I update the website myself?

Yes, that's part of the plan from the start. We choose a platform you can manage, and you get a training video and 30 days of support after launch. Changing a text, adding a service or swapping a photo shouldn't need a developer.

D

Can I update the website myself?

Yes, that's part of the plan from the start. We choose a platform you can manage, and you get a training video and 30 days of support after launch. Changing a text, adding a service or swapping a photo shouldn't need a developer.

D

Can I update the website myself?

Both, and we choose with you. Framer suits most brand sites because it's fast and easy to edit. WordPress makes sense when you already use it or need a large content library. If you'll sell online later, we'll talk about Shopify instead.

D

Do you build websites in Framer or WordPress?

Both, and we choose with you. Framer suits most brand sites because it's fast and easy to edit. WordPress makes sense when you already use it or need a large content library. If you'll sell online later, we'll talk about Shopify instead.

D

Do you build websites in Framer or WordPress?

Both, and we choose with you. Framer suits most brand sites because it's fast and easy to edit. WordPress makes sense when you already use it or need a large content library. If you'll sell online later, we'll talk about Shopify instead.

D

Do you build websites in Framer or WordPress?

We polish the copy you have: clearer, in your tone, without mistakes, in one language. If you need every page written from scratch, tell us on the call and we'll say honestly what fits.

D

Do you write the texts for my website?

We polish the copy you have: clearer, in your tone, without mistakes, in one language. If you need every page written from scratch, tell us on the call and we'll say honestly what fits.

D

Do you write the texts for my website?

We polish the copy you have: clearer, in your tone, without mistakes, in one language. If you need every page written from scratch, tell us on the call and we'll say honestly what fits.

D

Do you write the texts for my website?

We set up the basics on every page: titles, meta descriptions, headings, alt text and a clean structure, so Google understands what you do. Ranking also takes content and time, so we won't promise a position. What we promise is a site Google can read properly from day one.

D

Will my website be found on Google?

We set up the basics on every page: titles, meta descriptions, headings, alt text and a clean structure, so Google understands what you do. Ranking also takes content and time, so we won't promise a position. What we promise is a site Google can read properly from day one.

D

Will my website be found on Google?

We set up the basics on every page: titles, meta descriptions, headings, alt text and a clean structure, so Google understands what you do. Ranking also takes content and time, so we won't promise a position. What we promise is a site Google can read properly from day one.

D

Will my website be found on Google?

Tell us now. If a shop is part of the plan, we'll build a store from day one instead, because building twice is the one thing we'll always talk you out of. See Shopify store design.

D

I want to sell online later. Should I start with a website?

Tell us now. If a shop is part of the plan, we'll build a store from day one instead, because building twice is the one thing we'll always talk you out of. See Shopify store design.

D

I want to sell online later. Should I start with a website?

Tell us now. If a shop is part of the plan, we'll build a store from day one instead, because building twice is the one thing we'll always talk you out of. See Shopify store design.

D

I want to sell online later. Should I start with a website?

Yes. We start the same way: what your visitors need to know, then the structure, then the design. Sometimes the content is good and only the structure is in the way, and we'll tell you so. More on website redesign.

D

Can you redesign my existing website?

Yes. We start the same way: what your visitors need to know, then the structure, then the design. Sometimes the content is good and only the structure is in the way, and we'll tell you so. More on website redesign.

D

Can you redesign my existing website?

Yes. We start the same way: what your visitors need to know, then the structure, then the design. Sometimes the content is good and only the structure is in the way, and we'll tell you so. More on website redesign.

D

Can you redesign my existing website?

You can, and for some businesses that's enough. What a builder can't do for you is decide what your site should say to the people you want to work with. If you're weighing it up, read A website built with AI or by a designer?.

D

Can't I just build it myself with an AI website builder?

You can, and for some businesses that's enough. What a builder can't do for you is decide what your site should say to the people you want to work with. If you're weighing it up, read A website built with AI or by a designer?.

D

Can't I just build it myself with an AI website builder?

You can, and for some businesses that's enough. What a builder can't do for you is decide what your site should say to the people you want to work with. If you're weighing it up, read A website built with AI or by a designer?.

D

Can't I just build it myself with an AI website builder?

No. The studio is in Rotterdam, and we work with businesses across the Netherlands and Belgium, mostly by video call. We work in English, Dutch and Portuguese. See also Rotterdam.

D

Do you only work with businesses in Rotterdam?

No. The studio is in Rotterdam, and we work with businesses across the Netherlands and Belgium, mostly by video call. We work in English, Dutch and Portuguese. See also Rotterdam.

D

Do you only work with businesses in Rotterdam?

No. The studio is in Rotterdam, and we work with businesses across the Netherlands and Belgium, mostly by video call. We work in English, Dutch and Portuguese. See also Rotterdam.

D

Do you only work with businesses in Rotterdam?

Your time for the strategy session, your feedback in each round, and your content: texts, photos and the practical details like services, opening hours or booking rules. The sooner those are ready, the sooner your site can launch.

D

What do you need from me?

Your time for the strategy session, your feedback in each round, and your content: texts, photos and the practical details like services, opening hours or booking rules. The sooner those are ready, the sooner your site can launch.

D

What do you need from me?

Your time for the strategy session, your feedback in each round, and your content: texts, photos and the practical details like services, opening hours or booking rules. The sooner those are ready, the sooner your site can launch.

D

What do you need from me?

Not on the list?

Ask it on a call

Thirty minutes, free. You talk to Karina, not a salesperson, and by the end of the call you’ll know whether we’re a good fit. If we’re not, we’ll tell you that too.

Book a call

Keep reading

Shopify store design

→

Shopify redesign

→

Website for coaches

→

How much does a website cost?

→

Bold website design

→

Let's work together

Let’s talk about your website

Book a call

Tell us what you do, who you’d like to reach and what your site isn’t doing yet.

Thirty minutes, free. You talk to Karina directly, and by the end of the call you’ll know whether we’re a good fit. If we’re not, we’ll tell you that too.

Tell us what you do, who you’d like to reach and what your site isn’t doing yet.

Thirty minutes, free. You talk to Karina directly, and by the end of the call you’ll know whether we’re a good fit. If we’re not, we’ll tell you that too.