About
A Shopify Plus studio run by one senior developer. On purpose.
The person you talk to is the person who builds your store. No account managers, no juniors, no hand-offs. Specialists are brought in when a project needs them, and you'll always know who they are.
Richard Forbes-Simpson · Founder · Newcastle upon Tyne
I'm Richard. I've been building for the web since 2004 and on Shopify since 2011, when I started Graftstudio in Newcastle upon Tyne. Before that I cut my teeth in Belfast agencies, and for most of the last decade I was also part of the front-end team at a Shopify Plus agency, working alongside other developers on builds for brands like Gymshark and Victoria Beckham. Graftstudio ran alongside that work the whole time.
Today Graftstudio is a Shopify Plus Partner, and it's still me doing the work, for brands like Brew Tea Co, Feel Reformed and Miller Harris. That isn't a stage on the way to becoming an agency. It's the model. Every store I've shipped, I've written the code for, and the clients I've worked with longest are the ones who value exactly that.
When a project needs more than one pair of hands, I bring in people I've worked alongside for years: design, CRO, content, photography. Senior people, doing what they do every day, with no agency layer in between. You get the depth of a team without the overhead of one.
Values
- 01
Evidence before spend
Nothing gets recommended on a hunch. Every piece of work starts with what the problem is costing and what fixing it is worth, and every change is measured before and after. If the numbers don't support it, I'll tell you not to do it.
- 02
One person, accountable
The person you talk to is the person responsible for the result. No ticket queues, no account layer, no work disappearing into a sprint. When a project needs more hands, I bring in senior people I've worked with for years, and you deal with them directly.
- 03
Yours, always
Your store, your code, your access, all held in your name. Everything is documented and handed over so your team can run it without me. Clients stay because the work is good, not because they're locked in.
“We have worked exclusively with Graftstudio on a series of Shopify projects over the past twelve months. As a small team ourselves, we relish working with pragmatic partners and collaborators who are not only brilliant, but also sympathetic to last-minute requests and fast-changing scopes! Richard has been nothing but forthcoming; he’s reliable and quick, even at the toughest of times. I would not hesitate to recommend Richard and Graftstudio.”
Amelie Jannoe
E-Commerce Manager, Miller Harris
“Richard was incredibly accommodating throughout the development of our new website. He was consistently solutions-focused, suggesting practical improvements that helped us streamline the site and create a better overall experience. Whenever I had a technical question, he was readily available to explain things clearly and find a way forward. I would highly recommend Richard to anyone looking to refresh their website and work with a knowledgeable, responsive, reliable developer and a genuinely nice person!”
Deborah Bryant
“Richard has been supporting us behind the scenes for years and we find him exceptionally reliable. Designs are brought to life as intended but with the added benefit that Richard will always recommend a better or simpler way of achieving a goal, something we find very valuable. The support is quick, the documentation is great and his approach is flexible to our requirements. He works really well with our team and others working on our site. The ground up build was complex with a lot of interesting features - all delivered exactly as planned. Thanks Richard, we look forward to continuing to grow with Graftstudio.”
Phil Kirby
Founder, Brew Tea Co.
“I'd never go back to working with a large agency after working with Graftstudio.”
Niamh Russell
E-Commerce Marketing Manager, Steamline Luggage
“I have worked with developers across overland of platform, one man bands to large agencies. I can say with my hand on my heart, that I will never have to look again for a developer on any project I ever work on. Richard is honest, fast and top of his game. A friend in life and business, feel very grateful to be working with him.”
Ernest Capbert
TOG Knives
“Richard has become a vital member of the team here at TOG Knives. He is fast to respond to enquiries and fast to complete the work too, both of which make a huge difference when you are managing an e-commerce site. He's also experienced, efficient and pro-active in terms of resolving problems and developing our site, suggesting different ways of doing things. Thoroughly recommended!”
Bert Beagley-Brown
Founder, TOG Knives
“Richard has been an invaluable resource for us as we transitioned from another agency. His communication and responsiveness have kept up with our various complex needs. Highly recommend!”
Ben Twineham
E-Commerce Marketing Manager, Paxton & Whitfield
“We worked with Richard at Graftstudio to build our website from scratch. Aside from delivering what we wanted on-time and looking great, what was great was Richard's proactiveness in suggesting solutions / options to our requirements that we hadn't thought of, or were unaware of.”
Richard Sagar
Founder, The Spirited Club
“We worked with Richard to develop a brand new website, and he really understood our vision from the start. He offered thoughtful suggestions that matched our aesthetic and branding, and was always happy to problem-solve along the way to ensure we achieved exactly what we wanted. Since then, he’s continued to offer support whenever needed, and we’ve also collaborated on smaller projects together. Highly recommend!”
Jenny Aktas
E-com Trading Manager, TUTTI
“I would recommend working with Graftstudio for all of your Shopify development needs. Richard is a clear communicator and always sticks to deadlines. Work is always done to the highest level.”
Sonny Singh
Manager - Scotland Kilt Company, KILT SOCIETY™
“Richard at Graftstudio is a pleasure to work with. Very knowledgeable & quick to respond to any development work we may have with the site. We truly value his support & would recommend Graftstudio to anybody on Shopify.”
Maggie Ibetson
Marketing Manager, Snackfully
“Richard approached this project thoughtfully, and achieved a lot in a short time as a result. We are excited to continue working together!”
Andrew Goble
Jambys
“Graftstudio has excellent web developers with wonderful communication skills and an eye for design.”
Liliya Kay
E-Commerce Manager, Intelligent Change
“Graftstudio was very helpful and easy to work with. Understands someone who doesn't have the best knowledge of how to best visually progress their website. Will be working with them again.”
Ruth Haldon
Founder, Ruth Haldon Jewellery
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