Freelance Web Designer in Hackney

Hackney has more than its share of independent businesses, creative studios and labels doing things on their own terms – and a fair few of them need websites that reflect that. I'm a freelance web designer based in North London, and I've worked with several Hackney-based clients on everything from illustrator portfolios to independent record stores.

I don't have an office in the area, but I'm close enough that a meeting is easy to arrange, and I work well with the kind of independent, hands-on clients that Hackney tends to produce.

Websites – Design and development for independent businesses, artists, studios and organisations. I build with Kirby CMS for most sites: clean, fast, and set up so you can manage content yourself without needing to come back to me for every update.

Online shops – E-commerce builds including full builds and migrations. If you're selling online and your current setup has become a maintenance headache, that's a specific problem I've solved before.

Brand identity – Visual identity work often alongside a new website but sometimes as a standalone project. Good for independent businesses launching something new or refreshing an identity that's stopped working.

Ongoing support – Monthly website management covering hosting, updates and security. Useful if you'd rather focus on the business than keep an eye on plugin updates.

Local clients include Oscar Francis, a London-based design studio selling art prints and textiles; Francisco de la Mora, an illustrator based in Hackney; and Ample Play Records, the independent Stoke Newington label founded by Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres of Cornershop.

Everything I do is quoted upfront at a fixed price – no hourly billing, no scope creep that turns a £2,000 project into a £4,000 one. I work with small and independent businesses regularly, so I know what a realistic budget looks like and I'll tell you honestly if a brief doesn't quite fit.

If you're in the early stages and not sure what you need, there's a short guide to choosing a web designer that covers the right questions to ask before you hire anyone.

Brief intake, written proposal with a fixed price, design approval before build begins, and a handover that leaves you genuinely able to manage the site yourself. Most small business websites take four to eight weeks from start to handover, depending on how much content is involved.

If you want to know more about what I ask at the start of every project – and what it tells you about how a designer thinks – I've written about that here.

If you're based in Hackney or the surrounding area and need a website or online store, get in touch with a rough idea of what you're looking for. I'll come back to you quickly with an honest view on whether it's a good fit.

There's also a longer piece on web design for Hackney and Islington businesses if you want some background before making contact.