Studio Cathán
My own freelance studio - web design, brand identity, and social media management for real clients, real budgets, real deadlines.
Small businesses need a web presence, and they need it to actually convert.
Each client came to Studio Cathán with a version of the same problem: an outdated or nonexistent web presence that didn't reflect what their business actually did well. RVRA needed a full rebuild that matched their brand's warmth. 1st Class Blinds, based in Limavady, needed a clean, trustworthy site that could hold its own against bigger competitors. The Oak Consultancy needed a presence that read as credible and considered.
Every client conversation is a small negotiation: between what they want, what they can afford, and what will actually work.
Running it like a business, not a side hustle
Discovery → identity → build → handover
- Discovery call to understand the client's actual business, not just their stated brief
- Brand identity work - palette, tone, and visual language distinct to that business
- Build and iterate directly with the client, rather than a single big reveal
- Handover with an ongoing retainer for maintenance where the client wanted it
- drop in real screenshots here
What running a studio taught me about product
Studio Cathán is the closest thing I have to running a product function solo - I'm the researcher, designer, engineer, and account manager on every project. It's taught me to hold the full picture at once: what a client actually needs, what they can pay for, and what I can realistically deliver on the timeline we agreed. That's the muscle I want to bring into product management - not just building well, but deciding well.