For over two decades we've been delivering high quality websites to clients of all shapes and sizes. We can help you to build your brand, sell your products, drive your sales, raise awareness for your cause or increase your design agency production capacity.
Led by creative director and graphic designer Michael Auty - the team is experienced, independent and lucky enough to be based in sunny Sheffield, South Yorkshire; supported by copywriting, SEO, social media and brand development specialists.
All of this means that we're able to offer a service that competes with the big guns; yet comes with an affordable freelance price tag. Great news for you and your project.
We don't have fancy offices or a large project management team. We prefer to pass those cost savings back to you and allow you to talk directly to the designer and developers building your website.
We don't believe in writing proprietary software that ties our clients into difficult to break contracts.
Using a project and budget relevant mixture of open source content management systems means that our clients enjoy a cost-effective and sustainable online strategy that affords them flexibility, freedom and choice.
Technically - our sites stand shoulder to shoulder with work from the largest digital agencies. We use the same level of cloud-based high-speed, up-time guaranteed hosting providers; so that our customers can enjoy peace of mind when it comes to site security and data safety.
Spanning everything from boutique businesses through small to medium sized enterprises, charities, not-for-profits and global corporations; Covering the Travel, Tourism, Media, Museums and Heritage, Retail, Healthcare, Software and Commercial Manufacturing industries; across both public and private sectors. We've delivered E-commerce platforms with point of sale stock integration across multiple stores; event, ticketing and E-learning tools.
We've integrated accounting packages, CRM and commerical manufacturing specification systems. We've built blogs, photography, architecture and media portfolios; Asset and service-management portals and online educational resources.…
The culmination of many months work in re-rationalising the hierarchy of business objectives, understanding the marketplace and the users journey through the decision making process led us to the crafting and re-shaping of content in order to communicate the core values of the Origin Global brand while providing efficicent tools with which to drive the sales process.
The results speak for themselves.
Another travel industry website - this time focussed on the financial sector.
We integrated Umbraco CMS utilising its rich feature-set to deliver a simple but powerful content management system that meets the clients day to day need and brings in elements of bespoke functionality where necessary.
Another coup for madewithpixels. Shogun are a market-leading manufacturer of hydroponic nutrients with a strong brand aesthetic.
We integrated Umbraco CMS along with a bespoke nutrient calculator that provides at-a-glance information for their customers to provide a best-in-class online experience.
Dolphin are a well known and successful company within the travel sector providing technical solutions to corporate clientele.
Deploying Umrabco's fully-feastured grid-editor - customised with some of our own widgets and controls we provided the client with the ability to manage design-led content blocks independently of our input. Ensuring that any content they added would remain cohesive; fitting well with the Dolphin brand aesthetic.
A small but perfectly formed website for the recruitment industry.
Utilising Umbraco CMS to provide a sustainable web-presence with bespoke job listings and C.V. upload facilities.
ay-pe provide CGI, video production and interpretive media services from their semi-rural location near York, North Yorkshire.
A minimalist design approach and some funky javascript effects bring this website and integrated Wordpress blog to life. Providing a platform for ay-pe to showcase their incredibly creative work and engage with their audience.
Our long standing relationship with the Continuum Group affords us the opportunity to understand their business needs with great clarity
When they asked us to help them re-rationalise their exisiting web-presence we were delighted. We developed a fully content managed publising platform that allows for the creation of some atypically creative page layouts.
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Providing technical consultancy and build services to the talented Peter and Paul; madewithpixels collaborated on the MW-A website to provide a slick front-end experience and content management system for a heavily javascript enabled website for this London based Archtitects.
Another collaboration with Peter and Paul. This time - they provided branding and illustration assets to support the concept. With graphic-design and production build done in-house at madewithpixels. The use of parallax effects and javascript animation brings a sense of movement and dynamism to a simple layout. We had fun with this one and it shows.
Another collaboration; this time with Kiosk - ex Designers Republic's founding member David Bailey's branding and advertising agency.
madewithpixels performed a technical build and web-design consultancy role to support the branding and page layouts provided by Kiosk. We used a customised installation of Wordpress to provide the client with a fully featured content management system, Google analytics access and solid SEO tools.
A minimalist approach for this web portfolio for Erich Kadow; an interpretive designer working in the museums and heritage sector.
We were asked to undertake the design and deployment of a new website for this popular Manchester vistior attraction in 2014.
madewithpixels worked closely with this popular visitor attraction to provide a comprehensive information portal for prospective visitors. Comprising both a desktop layout and responsive mobile site; Plus integration with a third party booking and CRM system - the graphical approach of this website is annually re-designed to stay inline with the attractions offline branded materials.
The integrated content management system includes full in-page editing, masthead graphics and feature-box management in order to provide the client with powerful ways in which to communicate brand values and special offers to their audience.
madewithpixels works closely with this popular visitor attraction to provide a comprehensive information portal for prospective visitors. Comprising both a desktop layout and responsive mobile site; Plus integration with a third party booking and CRM system - the graphical approach of this website is annually re-designed to stay inline with the attractions offline branded materials.
The content management system includes full in-page editing, masthead graphics and feature-box management in order to provide the client with powerful ways in which to communicate brand values and special offers to their audience.
Working closely with Kadow Interpretation we delivered an online toolkit portal for this UNESCO World Heritage site with which it could provide media assets to its partners and collaborators.
In the Summer of 2009 madewithpixels launched this fully content managed website and online learning resource for Creswell Crags in conjunction with the British Museum.
The site integrates functionality from Google maps and the Museums offline object database; allowing the user to explore the surrounding heritage area and providing access to the object collection and research resource for those not able to visit in person.
The site features blogs, forums, event management, downloads, polls, research resources and many more exciting features which ensure that this has become one of the countries premier visitor attraction websites.
A small Wordpress based website for this excellent Sheffield based band.
A single page service portfolio for this Sheffield based audio equipment supply and installation team.
Working with like-minds is always a pleasure. When our friends at Club60 asked us to help out with their web presence we jumped at the chance. Working with another piece of branding from Ward 57Design and collaborating with them on design we re-rationalised the colour palette and hierarchy of content in order to re-purpose the site into something a bit more business-like and upfront with the proposition.
Design for a Wordpress based blog during the launch of Bromfield's 'iuntroducing' album back in 2009.
The team at SOYO have got a good grip on the importance of effective graphic design in shaping their business identity.
Teleriks Sitefinity Content Management System provides full site publishing and event management offering the user great ways to interact with the site such as Blogs, 'members-only areas' and online Cocktail menus. Facebook integrated online booking forms complete the package in order that Soyo can continue to engage with its audience with targetted and focussed communications.
We took inspiration from local artist Geo Law's illustration for the Monday night event at Soyo for this review and rich media based website.
Using Wordpress as a basis for content management; we customised the technology to provide a more comprehensive tool-set and designed an atypical layout that would communicate the brand values of the event.
An Umbraco CMS powered micro-site for this popular pub franchise. The site includes a food menu, event management system and table reservation functionality.
An Umbraco CMS powered micro-site for this popular Sheffield nightclub.
An Umbraco CMS powered micro-site for this popular Sheffield pub. The site includes a food menu, event management system and table reservation functionality.
An Umbraco CMS powered micro-site for this popular Sheffield bar. The site includes a food menu, event management system and table reservation functionality.
With site design and development undertaken entirely in-house; madewithpixels also developed the Stephen McCulley brand identity and art-directed the illustrated tiling backdrops produced by the fantastic Studio-Binky. We deployed a heavily customised Wordpress installation to provide a fully featured and highly extensible content management system enabling the client to take direct control of their content and SEO strategy with an easily understandable toolset.
The Insight CBT Partnership has focussed 10 years of research and training of mental health teams and home carers in CBT for patients with severe schizophrenia.
In early 2010 we launched an online brand and resource portal that helps to connect the Insight Partnership with its audience and the wider healthcare industry at large. Providing a platform from which CBT trainers and trainees can meet, interact and gain knowledge and training on the cutting edge of cognitive behavioural therapy.
We used our old favourite Telerik's Sitefinity CMS to provide full content and user management. Customising the software heavily to add case study Q&A sessions, chat rooms and PayPal payment integration for the varying levels of membership.
Mednet provide training to NHS mental health practitioners.
madewithpixels launched a fully content managed website featuring Assessed and Certified Online Tests, Customer Surveys and Event Management functionality in order to provide Mednet with a suite of business tools that address their developing business needs.
Built on the leading open-source Magento platform and heavily integrated with point of sale software from Microsoft RMS in order to provide stock control across both the website and the organisations three retail locations.
In order to improve the users experience; we re-rationalised the navigational structure of the clients existing sit and brought the aesthetics up to date, ensuring consistency of the brand messaging alongside printed materials and other offline marketing materials.
During 2016 We built an entirely bespoke Microsoft .NET powered E-commerce system in order to cater to the complexity of ordering Bi-Fold Doors online.
Using Origin's excellent photography to life the design above the average e-comm template gave the layout an atypical look and feel.
Perfect for service or product portfolio websites.
For larger organisations with more complex business needs.
Expand your agency production capacity.
I've worked with some great web designers in my time. But the team @madewithpixels are absolutely amazing. Andrew Coulthard,
Director - Futura Consulting
We have worked with madewithpixels for a number of years, this reflects on their great understanding of our requirements and their hard work in meeting our needs Maria Smith,
Creswell Heritage Trust
They provided all of the features we asked for at a price the other design companies we approached couldn't even get close to. Mark Welch,
Manager, SOYO
Michael is a passionate designer with the ability to grasp difficult concepts and translate these into stunning visuals for the web. Darren Bristow,
Director - Quba New Media
The team at madewithpixels are responsible for successfully translating our brand aesthetic to the web. After careful consideration of our requirements, they produced a custom-built website which sits proudly alongside our printed magazine. Friendly, approachable and always available, Michael is a versatile designer with a flair for creativity and good eye for what works. Highly recommended. Sam Walby,
Editor - Now Then Magazine
Michael is one of the best designers we have used in terms of creativity and understanding of user centred design. Matthew Williams,
Director - Quba New Media
madewithpixels take basic concepts and create something both beautiful and functional. Through their passion and hard work, the results speak for themselves. Matt Cottril,
Founder - SOYO Live
The team at madewithpixels made E-commerce look easy. We couldn't be happier with our new site. Great service, great price. Thanks very much! Simon Spinks,
Managing Director, Aquaculture
Michael lives and works in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in the UK.
With over two decades of experience in digital software design; focussed primarily on graphical-user-interface development; I've been fortunate to have enjoyed some great experiences working with globally recognised brands for interesting agencies and lucky enough to have gone on to forge a successful freelance career.
I have always relished the design process and enjoy bringing creative and technical insight to client projects. Helping to diagnose and solve ongoing issues or bring fresh ideas to the table for establised businesses is at the core of what I do.
My experience and expertise makes me a strong candidate for multi-disciplinary teams. With a focus on GUI design for Web, Desktop and Mobile applications. I've been a Photoshop / Illustrator user since the late 90's; so I'm fluent with much of the Adobe Creative Suite. In addition - I'm familiar with 3D packages such as 3DS Max, Blender and Video Game Engine technology plus I have some commercial experience in editing video with Premiere and Final Cut Pro.
Over the years I've developed a strong interest and excellent commerical experience with front-end HTML and CSS. Taking creative work through to pixel-perfect markup and layout is a process I find challenging and enjoyable.
Currently I'm embracing SaaS platforms such as WebFlow and Wix Studio to provide a more responsive design-and-build service which can rapidly deliver websites with a high degree of both production value and built-in platform stability at costs much lower than the traditional agency model.
I'm also enjoying taking part in the explosion of generative AI tools; ChatGPT wrote much of the javascript for this site and I've successfuly used platforms such as Midjourney and AI 'in-painting' tools to further enhance or entirely create commercially viable assets.
Freelance - Creative director and lead designer at madewithpixels
2009-2024
Since starting my freelance career I've enjoyed servicing a client base with atypically large clients in the public and private sectors. Collaborations with some local design heroes like Peter and Paul and David Bailey formerly of Desigers Republic have been the icing on the cake.
During this time I've learned a lot about client handling, project management and the tendering/sales process.
Quba New Media - Senior designer
2002-2009
I'm very grateful for the confidence shown in me by the founding members at Quba. Working with such a large team was a fantastic opportunity to expand my skillset and consequently I was able to really focus on and sharpen my skills as a web-designer and front-end developer.
Continuum Group - GUI designer
1995-2002
I started my design career in York working with the conpany that created the Yorvik Viking Centre on a multidisciplinary team creating interactive touch-screen software for projects in the archaeology and museums sector. Working primarity as a GUI designer I learned a lot about software accessibility issues and the art of story-telling.
Leeds Arts University
Post Diploma in Adversting Graphics.
Batley School of Art and Design
National Diploma in Graphic Design.
GCSE Grades A-C
Engish Literature and English Language, Computer Science, Art, Drama.
When I have the spare time, I like to cycle or do photography. More recently I took up archery and for many years I've been a keen armchair astronomer.
But mainly, I'm a Dad that enjoys time with his family.
Social Enterprise
Now Then Magazine
Working closely with the Opus Independents team; madewithpixels is very proud of what we've achieved in bringing the beautiful look and feel of this independent Sheffield based print magazine to the web.
We used a heavily customised Wordpress to bring in-page editing of design heavy article pages - ensuring that the integrity of the Now Then brand identity remained true to the printed original.
Easily one of the most beautiful thing we've ever made with pixels.
Visit the website
Fairness on the 83
As part of the 2014 Festival of the Mind, the lovely people at Now Then Magazine asked us to help them conceptulaise a website based around a multi-platform project that used mixed media to raise awareness about issues of Fairness in Sheffield.
Visit the website
Opus Independents
The most enjoyable projects are always the ones in which your client gives you full trust and an open brief. 'Create something beautiful' they said; we'll let you be the judge of whether we achieved that.
Utlising an extremely atypical layout and taking visual cues from the wonderful local artist Michael Latimer's artwork we created a heavily customised Wordpress site that allowed Opus Independents to showcase their art, music and spoken word events; Communicate with their readership via the now ubiquitous blog and most importantly - provided a cost-effective extra income stream by building a simple online shop.
Visit the website
The Guild of St George
The Guild is an educational charity founded in 1871 by Victorian academic, art and social-critic John Ruskin with a membership consisting of academics, artists and a wide range of expertise; The site provides a hub for their fellowship and anyone interested in the continued philanthropic work of the Guild.
Deploying Umbraco CMS to a client with only a small amount of CMS expertise we were delighted that they were able to get going with a minimal amount of training - finding the platform responsive and intuitive. Music to our ears
Visit the website
Writing Sheffield
Another Opus Independents project. Writing Sheffield is a mixed media portal showcasing the best poetry and creative writing the city has to offer.
Trading Histories
During 2012, Arc Heritage asked madewithpixels if we'd like to help document the history of Sheffield's iconic Castle Market. Due for relocation at the tail end of 2013; the market has a rich and colourful history. Using written or drawn submissions and stories, oral history recordings and both archive and contemporary photography; madewithpixels used a customised Wordpress installation to provide a stable and extensible content management system with which the project team can use to keep the content up-to-date.
Working with more beautiful branding from the wonderful Ward 57 design helped to lead the look and feel of the project. Lomo photography and typography set in Sheffield font foundry Stephenson Blake's Grotesque#9 helped matters along nicely.