What Shape Design Studio does

Shape Design Studio, trading as MadeByShape, is an independent web design and branding agency founded in 2010 and headquartered in Atherton, just outside Manchester, UK. The firm operates as a private limited company (MadeByShape Ltd, company number 10529058) and is co-founded by Andy Golpys and Jason Mayo, who remain active in delivery. Its core offering spans bespoke web design and development, brand identity design, eCommerce builds on Shopify and Craft Commerce, organic SEO, content writing, and a monthly retainer product called Shape Support covering maintenance, performance and SEO. The agency is a verified Craft CMS and Craft Commerce partner with Pixel & Tonic and a specialist Shopify partner, and it builds its sites using an in-house Atomic Design component system implemented in Craft CMS Matrix fields with Twig templating and Tailwind CSS for front-end delivery. Core services are delivered in-house with no outsourcing of design or development.

The agency's customer base ranges from startups to large global organisations and is distributed across multiple verticals including fashion and luxury (Henry Jacques at Harrods, Riley Studio), property (Capital & Centric, Beech Holdings), talent management (YMU, Connect Management), healthcare (NHS, SSP Health, Millennium Care), and personal branding (Gary Neville). Pricing is fully bespoke with no published rates; payment terms are typically 50% upfront, 25% on design sign-off and 25% on build. Projects are scoped from short four-week Shopify builds to multi-month Craft Commerce engagements of eight weeks or longer. Shape Support introduces a recurring revenue layer on top of project work, with monthly blocks of half-day, one-day, or three-day per client.

MadeByShape's go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with a contact form and structured project planner on the website as the primary intake channel, supplemented by phone and Zoom meetings. Marketing is content-led via a regularly updated web design blog and organic social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Behance), with Google Reviews and video testimonials supporting bottom-of-funnel conversion. The agency claims a global client footprint despite its single Manchester-area studio and is registered as MadeByShape Ltd with no external venture or private equity investment disclosed.

Name

Shape Design Studio

Legal name

MadeByShape Ltd

Website

https://madebyshape.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shape Design Studio (MadeByShape) is an independent, Manchester-based web design and branding agency serving startups to global enterprises across fashion, property, talent, healthcare and personal branding, with bespoke builds on Craft CMS and Shopify.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Web Design & Development Services: Custom website design and development services delivered on a project-by-project basis. Projects range from small websites (approximately 4 weeks) to large eCommerce builds. No templates are used; every site is built from scratch.
2. Branding Services: Brand identity design services including logo design, typography, colour systems, and brand positioning. Branding projects typically take around four weeks.
3. Craft CMS & Shopify eCommerce Build: Specialist eCommerce website builds using Craft Commerce (minimum 8 weeks) and Shopify (approximately 4 weeks).
4. Shape Support (Monthly Retainer): Monthly support retainer plans providing consistent website maintenance, bug fixes, performance improvements, and feature additions. Plans are sold in blocks of half a day, one day, or three days per month. Time unused one month carries over to the next.
5. Content Writing: Content writing services including tone of voice development, SEO content, on-page content, blog content, press releases, and keyword research. Delivered as part of branding and web design projects or as standalone services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shape Design Studio (MadeByShape) is a Manchester-based web design and branding agency that designs and builds bespoke websites from scratch (no templates), specialising in Craft CMS and Shopify platforms, with complementary branding, organic SEO, eCommerce, content writing, and ongoing maintenance services. Every project is delivered in-house by a tight-knit team of approximately 10 staff.

Product overview

MadeByShape is a full-service web design and branding agency offering a comprehensive suite of digital services. The core offering consists of web design and development using Craft CMS and Shopify as primary technology platforms, complemented by branding services, SEO, and eCommerce capabilities. Additional service modules include Content Writing for tone of voice and SEO-optimised content, Shape Support for ongoing maintenance and growth, and Web Hosting. The agency also developed Hex Test, a side project color guessing game. All services are handled in-house without outsourcing, with Craft CMS and Shopify representing the main platform choices for website and eCommerce builds respectively.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 Craft CMS clients using the agency's component-based build system
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pixel & Tonic (Craft CMS)coreTechnology or IntegrationMadeByShape is a verified Craft CMS and Craft Commerce professional partner, reviewed and recognised by Pixel & Tonic (the makers of Craft CMS). Craft states that a Verified Partner has proven Craft CMS development experience, deep knowledge of Craft, and exhibits professional and reliable business practices.
• Craft CommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationVerified partner status for Craft Commerce (the eCommerce module of Craft CMS). The agency builds bespoke eCommerce stores on the Craft Commerce platform, with verified partner credentials.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationMadeByShape builds Shopify projects weekly, describing it as a 'super intuitive eCommerce platform'. The agency is a specialist Shopify partner, building custom Shopify stores in approximately 4 weeks.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cyber-Duck: UK-based digital agency of similar size specialising in web design, branding and digital transformation for mid-market and enterprise clients. Directly comparable in scale, service mix, and UK-headquartered boutique positioning.
• Studio Output: Independent Manchester-based design and branding agency working with consumer and cultural brands. Comparable in geography, team size, and the combination of branding and digital deliverables for premium clients.
• Eastside Co: UK Shopify-focused agency and Shopify Plus partner delivering custom eCommerce builds, branding, and ongoing support. Closest direct peer on the Shopify specialism side, with similar retainer/support model and mid-market client base.
• Baskerville: Manchester-based creative and digital agency offering branding, web design, and digital marketing. Same city, similar size, similar mix of brand identity and digital delivery for premium regional and national clients.
• Liquify Shopify Agency: UK Shopify Plus agency delivering bespoke eCommerce builds, migrations, and growth services. Direct peer on the Shopify platform specialism and on retainer-based ongoing support for retail clients.
• Thirst Creative: Independent UK creative agency with a strong branding and digital offering, serving clients across sectors at a comparable boutique scale. Direct peer on the brand-plus-digital combination.
• Bureau Digital: Independent UK digital agency combining branding, web design, and content for B2B and consumer clients. Comparable boutique positioning with a focus on bespoke builds rather than templated solutions.
• KOTA Creative Agency: London- and Manchester-based creative digital agency delivering web design, branding, and content for consumer brands. Similar service offering, with comparable emphasis on bespoke design and brand-led web builds.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: World's largest independent design consultancy, offering branding and digital design at scale across multiple offices. Comparable in craft and brand-led positioning, but operates at materially larger scale and is the broader incumbent in premium design.

Regional players

• Whitespace (Edinburgh): Edinburgh-based design and digital agency with a similar boutique, design-led approach. Comparable in services and ethos; differs primarily by being Scotland-based rather than Manchester-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/madebyshape
• GitHubgithub.com/madebyshape
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shape
• Instagraminstagram.com/madebyshape

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shape Design Studio