Upshot's Website: Fixing everyone else's sites first.

When I joined Upshot in October 2023, there was an interesting irony at the heart of our business. While we were building beautiful, modern websites for all our clients using Webflow, our own company website was stuck on WordPress. It had been on the "to-do" list for ages, but finding time around client projects was always challenging.

The WordPress site wasn't representing who we really were or what we were capable of. We knew we needed to practice what we preached, but more importantly, we wanted to create something that truly demonstrated Upshot's personality and capabilities to potential clients. The disconnect between our client work and our own digital presence was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Rather than just jumping straight into design, we started with honest internal conversations about what our website should actually achieve. What wasn't working with the current site? What story did we want to tell? What would make someone choose us over our competitors? These discussions became the foundation for everything that followed.

From these conversations, I began mapping out a completely new site structure. While I did some initial sketches, the majority of the page design planning was done directly in Figma from the start. This allowed me to dive straight into detailed wireframes where I could really think through the user journey and how we could effectively convey our message and guide someone through experiencing our brand from first visit to getting in touch.

Once we had the wireframes locked down, I moved into the visual design phase in Figma. This was where the project became really exciting for me. We weren't just creating another corporate website – we were building something that had to represent our creative capabilities while being genuinely useful for potential clients.

I developed a comprehensive design system that would work across all our pages, ensuring consistency while allowing each section to have its own personality. The designs went through multiple iterations, with the whole team providing feedback and pushing for that extra level of polish that would set us apart. Every detail mattered because this would be the first impression of our capabilities.

Moving from Figma to Webflow was where all the planning paid off. Having such detailed wireframes and designs meant I could focus on the technical implementation without second-guessing the user experience decisions. The migration from WordPress required careful planning to ensure we didn't lose any important content or SEO value.

I built the site using Webflow's component system, creating reusable elements that would make future updates easier and maintain consistency across the site. As one of the main objectives of the Upshot website was to provide a showcase of our capabilities, we utilised as many Webflow tricks as we could. When Webflow's native interactions menu couldn't quite achieve the desired outcome, we built upon those capabilities with GSAP to push the boundaries of what was possible and create truly polished, purposeful animations.

This website represents everything I love about the design-to-development process. Taking a project from initial strategy discussions, through wireframes and visual design, all the way to a polished Webflow site that the whole team is proud of. The finished site successfully aligned our digital presence with our actual capabilities.

It's probably my favorite website I've led because it wasn't just about making something look good – it was about creating a digital presence that authentically represents what we're capable of. The fact that it's our own site made every detail matter even more, and now we can confidently showcase work that truly represents our standards and approach.