The Studio — Stellenbosch, South Africa
Small business.Grand ambitions.
Position
The best design has always been kept behind velvet ropes and agency retainers. We find that terribly dull.
Cavellini is an independent studio with the tastes of a fashion house and the overheads of a corner café. We make websites, shops and custom online tools for tutors, salons, guesthouses, restaurants, manufacturers and anyone else with a good business and a forgettable website.
House rules
Six of them. We are strict about all six.
- N° 1
Ordinary was never the brief.
If it could belong to anyone, it is not finished.
- N° 2
Templates are for invoices.
Your business is not a fill-in-the-blanks exercise, and neither is its website.
- N° 3
Beauty must earn its keep.
A handsome page that takes no bookings is a painting. We make shops, diaries and tools that happen to be handsome.
- N° 4
No jargon at the table.
You will never be asked about your “digital ecosystem.” You will be asked what you sell and who you would like more of.
- N° 5
Small is a luxury.
You speak to the people doing the work. There is no account manager, because there is no one to manage.
- N° 6
The bill contains no plot twists.
A clear scope and a clear price, agreed before anything is drawn.
Our defining contradiction
Outrageouslysophisticated design.Surprisingly accessible service.
How it goes
Conversation
You tell us about the business. We ask impertinent questions about your customers. Tea is implied.
Composition
We design the thing properly: type, colour, pacing, and the practical machinery it needs behind it.
Construction
We build it by hand so it loads quickly, behaves on a phone and can be looked after without a manual.
Curtain up
It goes live. We stay within reach, because good work tends to want a sequel.
You do not need a brief, a budget spreadsheet or the right vocabulary. A sentence about your business will do.
Start a Project