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Web & UI Design

Websites That
Actually Convert.

We design websites that make visitors smile (and click). From beautifully designed pages to intuitive user journeys, we sharpen our digital crayons to create websites that don’t just look good — they work brilliantly.

Project investment: £2,500–£4,500/project
★★★★★ 5.0 Google Reviews · 60+ North East brands · 13+ years
Dave Head — Founder & Director
What You Get

Web & UI Design

No fluff. No jargon. Just proper work that moves your business forward.

User-Centric Design

A great website isn’t just about looking pretty — it’s about creating an effortless experience that makes visitors feel at home. Every page, button, and interaction is designed around your users.

Mobile-First & Responsive

Mobile visitors aren’t an afterthought — they’re your audience. We build websites designed to look fantastic and work beautifully on every screen, from phone to desktop.

Custom-Built from Scratch

Your business is unique, and your website should reflect exactly that. We custom-build websites from scratch, tailoring every feature, page, and pixel to perfectly match your brand.

Local Specialists

We’re proudly Northern and passionate about helping local businesses thrive online. Your website is often the first impression customers have of your business — make sure it’s brilliant.

WCAG 2.1 AA Accessible

Every site we build is accessible by default. Proper contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, semantic HTML, and aria labelling — tested against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard so all of your customers can use your site.

Why Web Design Matters

Why Brilliant Web Design Matters
for Your Business.

Your website is often the first impression customers have of your business — make sure it’s a brilliant one. Whether you’re selling cakes in Sunderland, running an agency in Newcastle, or launching an online shop from Durham, a great website turns curiosity into clicks, calls, and conversions.

  • First impressions happen in under 3 seconds — make yours count
  • A mobile-first site reaches 93% of your audience (just like at Gentoo)
  • Custom-built code means faster load times and better Google rankings
  • Websites that convert visitors into customers, not just impress designers
Why Northern

Why Choose Northern
for Web Design.

Choosing a web design team should be as simple as picking your favourite biscuit. We keep things clear — no endless back-and-forth, no disappearing designers, just honest creativity that delivers results.

Custom-Built, Not Templates
Pure HTML/CSS built for speed and SEO. No WordPress themes, no page builders, no bloat.
You Own Everything
Your domain, your code, your data. No lock-in, no hostage-taking. It’s yours from day one.
Speed That Converts
Our Gentoo Homes site loads fast with no bloat. Fast sites rank higher and convert better.
Strategy Before Pixels
We start with your business goals, not a mood board. Every design decision is tied to measurable outcomes.
Accessible by Default
WCAG 2.1 AA compliant out of the box. Proper colour contrast, keyboard navigation, semantic HTML and screen reader support — not bolted on at the end.
Local Web Design

Helping Local Businesses in
Newcastle, Sunderland & Durham.

From Newcastle’s city centre to Sunderland’s seafront and Durham’s historic heart, we help North East businesses stand out online with websites that work as hard as they do.

+58.61%
Views Per User (Gentoo Homes)
+85.07%
Engagement Time
Fast
Pure HTML, No Bloat
4 Months
Average Delivery
Web & UI Design Projects

Our Work in
Web & UI Design.

How We Deliver

How We Deliver Web Design across the North East.

A four-step process refined over 13+ years and 60+ brands. No fluff — just the work that actually moves the needle across the North East.

01

Audit & Discover

We start with a free no-obligation audit. We’ll dig into your current web design performance, your competitors across the North East, and what’s actually possible inside your budget — before anyone signs anything.

02

Plan & Agree

We put together a clear plan with realistic targets, costs and timeframes. You see exactly what you’re getting, what we’re measuring, and how we’ll report. No surprises, no upsells you didn’t ask for.

03

Build & Deliver

We get on with the work. Direct access to Dave and the team — no account managers, no gatekeepers, no subcontracted offshore studio. Weekly check-ins, monthly reports, and a Slack/WhatsApp channel for quick questions.

04

Measure & Iterate

The work doesn’t stop at launch. We track what’s working, drop what isn’t, and keep iterating — whether that’s rankings, ad spend, conversion rate, or all three. You get a clear report every month showing what changed and why.

Why It Matters Now

Web Design in 2026.

AI Has Changed The Game

Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Bing Copilot are now answering questions that used to send users to your website. Good web design in 2026 means optimising for AI citation, not just blue links — structured data, semantic clarity, and content that an LLM can lift verbatim.

Local Competition Has Caught Up

Five years ago, half the businesses across the North East didn’t take web design seriously. That’s no longer true. Your competitors are spending, learning, and getting better month on month. The cost of doing nothing is now higher than the cost of doing it well.

Buyers Research Differently

Modern B2B and B2C buyers don’t just “Google” you any more. They check LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube, Companies House, your reviews, your last three blog posts, and what AI tools say about you — before they ever fill in a contact form. Web Design in 2026 has to cover all those surfaces, not just rankings.

Avoid These Traps

Web Design Mistakes We See A Lot.

Before you spend a penny — whether with us or anyone else — check whether you’re about to fall into one of these.

1. Chasing The Wrong Metric

Rankings, impressions, followers, traffic — none of these pay the bills. We measure enquiries, qualified leads, revenue. If your agency reports anything else as the headline, ask why.

2. Buying Templates, Not Strategy

Cheap packaged web design bundles look like a bargain until you realise every client gets the same playbook. Your business isn’t generic — your strategy shouldn’t be either.

3. 12-Month Lock-Ins

Any agency that needs a year’s commitment to do good work doesn’t trust their own work. Our clients stay because the results are there — not because they’re contractually stuck with us.

4. Ignoring AI Search

Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity are already eating organic traffic. Most agencies haven’t adapted. We optimise for AI citation alongside traditional ranking — one is the future, both matter today.

5. Reporting In Vanity

100-page reports with no story aren’t reporting — they’re cover. Ours fit on one page: what we did, what changed, what’s next. If you want the underlying data, it’s yours to dig into — but the headline tells the story.

6. Outsourcing The Bits That Matter

Bigger agencies subcontract design to one country, dev to another, content to a third. We don’t. The same team that pitched you does the work — so the strategy you bought is the strategy you get.

Investment & Timelines

What Web Design Costs across the North East.

Honest answer: it depends. But here’s how we structure things so you know what to expect before the first call.

One-Off Project

From £1,500

A fixed-scope piece of work with a defined deliverable — a website rebuild, an SEO audit-and-fix, a brand refresh. Quoted up front, paid 50/50 (deposit + completion). Typical delivery: 2–6 weeks depending on scope.

Monthly Retainer

From £500/mo

Ongoing web design, optimisation, reporting and support. Rolling monthly — cancel any time with 30 days’ notice. No 12-month lock-in. You get a real human, a real report, and real changes every month.

Strategic Partner

Bespoke

For businesses where digital is the front line. Multi-channel programme — web design alongside everything else we do (web, brand, automation, content). Quarterly strategy, monthly delivery, dedicated team. Scoped to your business.

Not sure where you fit? Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll talk through your situation, give you an honest steer on what makes sense for the size of business you are, and you’ll leave with a clear next step — whether that’s working with us, working with someone else, or doing it yourself.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Real recommendations from real people.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed with David’s quality of work since I started working with him back in 2014. He still amazes me with his creativity, the speed of delivery plus he always keeps his word when he sets a time frame. You couldn’t work with anyone else who could be as collaborative, as creative, as David.”

MV
Mark Voermans
Enterprise Sales, Cloud & AI — Client since 2014

“Dave’s creativity was important to the creation of Gentoo’s outstanding new website. His designs are not only visually engaging but also meet accessible standards and user needs. He goes above and beyond to meet deadlines, displaying dedication and perseverance to ensure designs meet user needs.”

LM
Lisa McClure
User Centred Design Researcher — Managed Dave at Gentoo

“Dave has an unmatched level of creativity and energy — when you place these two together you get a creative genius who does not stop until he takes the project from good to great. His commitment to the brand standards is contagious. I am confident Dave will be a true asset in any team.”

AP
Alina Pascarel
citizenM Hotels — Worked with Dave on brand design
Web & UI Design FAQ

Common Questions

Everything you need to know about our Web & UI Design service.

Most websites take 4–8 weeks from kickoff to launch. At Gentoo Homes we rebuilt the entire site in 4 months and saw +58.61% views per user immediately. We set honest timelines from day one.

We custom-build everything. No templates, no page builders, no WordPress themes. Pure HTML/CSS built for speed, SEO, and conversions. Our Gentoo Homes site loads fast with no bloat.

Every website we build is mobile-first. At Gentoo, 93% of users were on mobile — so we designed for that first, then scaled up to desktop.

We can help with hosting setup and ongoing maintenance. From day one, you own everything — your domain, your data, your code. No lock-in.

Yes — every site we build meets WCAG 2.1 AA. That means proper colour contrast, full keyboard navigation, screen reader support, semantic HTML, and aria labelling. Accessibility isn’t an upgrade or an afterthought; it’s built in from the first wireframe.

Google Reviews

What clients say

Real reviews from businesses like yours.

5.0 (32 reviews)

Had a website made from scratch was done within 4 days and turn around was great.

R
Reece Storey
Web Design

Great service overall. It's been a real pleasure working with Dave and his team. They've helped strengthen our business presence and brand identity through our website and are always on hand to offer support and go the extra mile. We're looking forward to continuing to work with Dave and the Northern Digital team on future projects as our business grows.

B
Ben Wilson
Web Design, Branding

Very good experience, very knowledgable and trustworthy. Highly recommend.

F
Flix Electrics
Web Design
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Get In Touch

Let's Colour-in
Together.

Ready for a colourful conversation about your next big idea? We'll bring the crayons, you bring the dreams — and maybe biscuits.

Email
hello@northern.digital
Phone
Location
Business & Innovation Centre, Sunderland SR5 2TA
Send Us a Message
No jargon, just results. Fill in the form below and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.


5.0 Google Reviews
30+ Case Studies
13+ Years Experience
12 LinkedIn Recommendations
Google Partner · Meta Partner · Adobe Certified · WCAG 2.1 AA · Disability Confident · Living Wage