Performance over presentation
A beautiful site that's slow is a slow site. Speed isn't a feature, it's the foundation everything else sits on.
One person. The same one on every call, and on every commit.
I'm Joe - a freelance web designer and developer based in Reading, UK. I build fast, low-carbon, WCAG 2.2 AA accessible websites for B Corps, ethical commerce brands, and purpose-led businesses.
15 years of craft. One very specific point of view.
I started building websites when WordPress was still young and "responsive design" was just becoming a thing. Over the last 15 years I've worked with brands including Netflix, Sky, Canon, and Historic Royal Palaces - and I've watched the web get progressively heavier, slower, and more wasteful in the process.
Joontide exists because I got tired of watching ethical brands sit on bloated, slow, inaccessible websites that contradict everything they stand for. Your digital presence should be as considered as everything else you've built. Most of the time, it isn't, and that's a gap worth closing.
I'm not an agency. I don't have a team of developers, a project manager in the middle, or a handover to someone you've never met. You work with me. I design it, build it, and hand it over. I'm the same person you'll speak to if anything needs fixing six months later.
What sets this apart from every agency you've spoken to
These aren't brand values on a poster. They're how every project gets built, verifiably.
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Real numbers, not vague claims
Every project ships with published Lighthouse scores, carbon ratings, and page weight data. Not "eco-conscious design", actual measurements, from actual projects, visible to anyone who wants to check.
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A stack built to perform
I build with Astro, Sanity, and Shopify's Storefront API. Astro's static-first architecture produces measurably faster, lower-carbon sites than WordPress and I can show you the data to prove it. Nothing in the stack is accidental.
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WCAG 2.2 AA as standard
Not an add-on, not something we negotiate on. An ethical brand whose website excludes people with disabilities has a values gap that's visible to everyone who visits. Accessibility is part of what sustainability actually means.
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Transparent pricing, no surprises
Starting prices are published on the pricing page. No discovery call required to know if this is in budget. No hidden costs introduced after the proposal. If scope grows, we discuss it before work begins, not after.
15 years watching agencies build the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Flashy animations. Gimmicky interactions. Sites that looked great in a pitch and fell apart in the real world.
Nobody was asking clients whether their site was fast, accessible, or sustainable. Those conversations weren't happening and clients didn't know what they were missing.
Joontide exists because those conversations should always happen. I build for people who want a website that works for everyone, loads fast, and doesn't cost the planet. I make sure you know exactly what you're getting and why.
Who I work with now
Joontide is built specifically for B Corps, ethical commerce brands, and purpose-led agencies across the UK. If your business has spent years getting its operations right and your website hasn't kept up, that's the gap I close.
Their site is slow and it's costing them. The symptom is visible even if the cause isn't and they've been let down by agencies who didn't get them.
- From the audience research - this is who I built Joontide for
The things that are non-negotiable
Not a list of aspirations. These are the decisions built into every project before a single line of code is written.
Sustainability with evidence
Low-carbon isn't a badge. It's a measurable property of how a site is built and where it's hosted. I show the numbers.
Inclusion as a baseline
WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility is the minimum standard every site ships to. It's not a premium option, it's the right way to build.
Questions people ask before getting in touch
Is a freelance web designer better than an agency for my ethical brand?
For values-led brands, a specialist freelancer is often the stronger choice. With an agency, the person you meet in the pitch is rarely the person building your site and the sustainability claims are frequently vague. With Joontide, you work directly with the person doing the work, start to finish, with real performance data on every project.
Why Astro instead of WordPress?
Astro's static-first architecture serves pre-rendered HTML rather than generating pages on request - which means faster load times, lower server energy use, and a measurably smaller carbon footprint than a comparable WordPress build. I can show you the Lighthouse scores and carbon ratings from real projects to back that up.
Do you work with clients outside Reading?
Yes, the majority of Joontide's work is for clients across the UK. Being based in Reading, Berkshire just means London and the South East are easy for in-person meetings when needed. Everything else runs well remotely.
What does WCAG 2.2 AA mean and why does it matter?
WCAG 2.2 AA is the legal standard of web accessibility compliance in the UK - covering colour contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and more. For a brand committed to inclusion, an inaccessible website is a direct contradiction of that position. All Joontide builds meet AA as standard, not as an add-on.
How do I know if Joontide is the right fit for my brand?
If you're a B Corp, an ethical commerce brand, or a purpose-led agency looking for a technical partner who gets your mission without needing it explained, book a free 30-minute intro call. There's no obligation, and it'll quickly be clear whether this is the right fit for both of us.
Your website should be as considered as everything else you've built.
Book a free 30-minute intro call. No pitch, no pressure - just a conversation about where your site is now and what it could be. If it's not the right fit, I'll say so.
Free, no obligation. Just a conversation.