The studio journal
Writing
Notes on design process, client work, and building for the web.
Design Tradeoffs on Every Small Business Website
How founders and local businesses should weigh speed, visuals, CMS flexibility, and budget when building or redesigning a website, with real project tradeoffs.
Sam Blake·August 11, 2026·9 min read
Website Redesign Process for Local Businesses
Step-by-step website redesign process for local shops and service businesses: audit, content, design approval, build, launch, and handoff.
Sam Blake·August 10, 2026·9 min read
How to Get a Full Website Design Mockup Before You Pay
How founders get a finished website design mockup before paying, what the package includes, and how Subsecond Studio’s approve-first model de-risks agency work.
Sam Blake·August 4, 2026·10 min read
What a Fixed-Price Website Rebuild Includes
What a fixed-price website rebuild includes for small businesses: locked scope, timeline, deliverables, and what still triggers a change order.
Sam Blake·August 3, 2026·8 min read
What AEO Means for a Small Business Website
AEO gets AI search tools like ChatGPT to cite your site. Here is how it differs from SEO and the on-page moves that get a small business quoted.
Sam Blake·July 19, 2026·7 min read
How to Know If Your Website Brief Is Ready to Hand Off
A six-item readiness test for small business owners so a developer can start building on day one instead of losing two weeks to email.
Sam Blake·July 19, 2026·9 min read
How to Read a Web Performance Report Without a CS Degree
A plain-English guide to Core Web Vitals, Lighthouse scores, and TTFB, so a non-technical founder can act or brief a developer with real direction.
Sam Blake·July 11, 2026·7 min read
What Makes Working With a Web Developer Work Long-Term
Working with a web developer for the long haul comes down to clear briefs, fast feedback, and shared scope. Here's what keeps the relationship working.
Sam Blake·June 11, 2026·7 min read
How to Give Client Feedback on Web Design
What a feedback round actually is, how many you get, and how to give notes a designer can act on without wasting a revision.
Sam Blake·June 8, 2026·7 min read