Website design and development for startups
Service · Updated
I design startup websites and build them myself in Framer, so one person owns the site from the page map to the published URL. That covers marketing sites and landing pages with CMS, SEO setup and forms. It doesn't cover web apps, logins, stores or backend work.
Why one person for both
The usual setup is a designer handing Figma files to a developer, and most of what goes wrong happens in between: spacing that drifts, a mobile layout nobody designed, a hover state the developer guessed. Each costs a round of screenshots and comments.
When I know I'll build a section the next day, I design it the way Framer builds it: as a component with real breakpoints rather than a static frame. A question that would be a ticket between two people elsewhere, I answer while building.
The trade-off is capacity. One person can't run three sites in parallel the way an agency can, so I take fewer projects and say so at the start.
What "development" means here, exactly
I build production websites in Framer, a visual builder that publishes fast, hosted sites with a CMS your team can use. I don't write code by hand and I'm not a software engineer. For a marketing site that helps: nobody on your team needs a developer to change a headline or publish a blog post.
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Marketing site and landing pages, built and published in Framer | Web apps, dashboards behind a login, user accounts |
| CMS collections: blog, changelog, case studies, jobs | E-commerce with checkout and inventory |
| Forms connected to your email or CRM tool, analytics events | Backend, databases, custom APIs |
| SEO setup, redirects from your old URLs, domain connection | Ongoing server or infrastructure work |
| Working prototypes and small tools built with AI coding tools, where a demo helps | Production app development |
On that last row: I build working prototypes and small tools by directing AI coding tools, such as an interactive product demo, a calculator or a clickable flow to test with users. They're good for showing or testing an idea. They aren't a production app, and I won't sell them as one.
What you get
- A page map: every page, the one job it has, and the order of sections on it.
- Wireframes written with your real headlines and proof.
- The full design on desktop, tablet and mobile.
- The built site in Framer on your domain, with CMS, forms, analytics events and SEO settings.
- Redirects from old URLs if you're replacing a site, so indexed pages don't turn into 404s.
- A handover session so your team can edit and publish without me.
Search structure goes in at the page-map stage (one topic per page, proper headings, clean URLs), where it costs nothing; later it costs a rebuild. The Framer SEO guide has the details and the xPay example.
How the weeks go
- Week 1: positioning and page map: A working session on who the site is for and what they need to believe, then the page map for your sign-off.
- Weeks 1 to 2: wireframes and copy: Structure and headlines on every page, reviewed before anything is styled.
- Weeks 2 to 4: design and build: I design the main pages, then build as I go, so you review on a live staging link instead of static images.
- Final week: launch: Domain, redirects, a pass on real phones, then the handover.
A 5 to 10 page site usually takes three to six weeks end to end; a single landing page, one to two. The slowest part is almost always waiting for copy and feedback, rarely the build.
Sites I've designed and built
I designed and built zania.ai end to end in Framer. At CodeAnt AI (YC W24), where I'm the founding designer, I designed the Framer website along with the product and brand; its conversion rate has doubled since launch.
Zania Website: Designed and developed entire website in Framer, from structure to final production deployment
Entvin Website: Designed and shipped SaaS website with clear positioning, product storytelling and conversion-focused flows
Price and how to start
A Framer landing page starts from $1,000 and a Framer website of 5 to 8 pages from $3,500, design and build included. Page count, CMS needs, migration and how much copy exists change the final number; the pricing page explains how.
If you need an app built rather than a website, I'm the wrong hire for the build, though I can design it. Otherwise, email work@utkarshdesign.com with your current site (if any), who the new one is for and when you need it live.
Questions people ask
Do you do both website design and development?
Yes. I design the site and build it in Framer myself, so there's no handoff between a designer and a developer.
Can you build our web app or SaaS product too?
No. I design products, but I don't build production apps or backends. I build marketing websites in Framer and working prototypes with AI coding tools.
Why Framer and not a custom-coded site?
For a marketing site, Framer publishes fast, hosted pages and lets your team edit them without a developer. If your site needs custom backend logic, it's the wrong tool and I'll say so on the first call.
Sources
- Build your Framer CMS with the Agent, Framer Academy
- How to setup redirects to maintain SEO ranking, Framer Help
- Redirects and Google Search, Google Search Central
Start a project
Tell me what you're building and where it's stuck: book a 30-minute call, email work@utkarshdesign.com or send a brief.