Why I Built a Web Design Agency Around Collaboration & Values

My early journey into web design led me to a place with unexpected synergy: the campus-wide web team at California State University Long Beach. I was a division webmaster, just one tech employee among many, working alongside other web developers and web designers to build WordPress website templates that would serve thousands of diverse students, faculty, and staff across the university departments.

What struck me most wasn’t the size of the website or the heavy load of technical work—though I loved diving into code and designing user experiences. It was the way we approached problems together as a team. When someone discovered a more accessible way to structure navigation, they shared it with everyone. When a campus web developer found an elegant solution to a design challenge, it became part of our shared template library. We weren’t competing; we were building something bigger than any of us could create alone.

The University Web Team was my first real taste of open source thinking in action, and it shaped everything about how I approach my web business today. Moreover, a majority of those members on that team continue to be reliable colleagues in a different capacity in our current roles on separate web teams—true partnerships with trust, reliability and loyalty—beyond the biweekly paycheck.

Working with WordPress daily taught me that open source isn’t just about freely available software—it’s a philosophy. It’s the belief that when we share knowledge, tools, and ideas openly, everyone benefits. The entire web becomes stronger, more accessible, and more innovative.

At Cal State Long Beach, we embodied this philosophy in our web team without even realizing it. We documented our solutions, shared our templates, and helped each other solve complex problems. No one hoarded knowledge with gate keeping or guarded their best techniques. As a result, our campus websites were more cohesive, more user-friendly, and more accessible than they ever could have been if we’d worked in silos.

That collaborative environment in higher education spoiled me. I couldn’t imagine working any other way.

When I started my own web design agency, I knew I wanted to recreate that spirit of collaboration—but this time, extending it beyond just our internal team to include our clients as true partners in the process.

I sought out web designers, web developers, and digital accessibility specialists who didn’t just have technical skills, but who genuinely believed in the power of working together. I wanted people who got excited about sharing a breakthrough with teammates, who saw client feedback as a gift rather than criticism, and who understood that the best solutions emerge from diverse perspectives coming together.

Finding this team wasn’t easy. The technology industry often promotes a culture of individual genius—the lone ranger who single-handedly crafts brilliant solutions. But I’ve learned that’s not just unrealistic; it’s limiting. The most innovative, inclusive, and impactful work happens when different minds approach problems from different angles.

For example, Chris Runnells, our Lead Developer and Commander of the Code, embodies an ideal blend of technical expertise and collaborative leadership. His background at Automattic—the powerhouse behind WordPress.org—gave him invaluable experience working alongside some of the brightest minds in open source development. There, he sharpened his skills in user-centric web development while absorbing the collaborative culture that makes WordPress the world’s most popular CMS.

What makes Chris truly special is how his passions outside of code inform his approach to teamwork. As an avid rower with outrigger and crew teams in Hawaii, he understands that success comes from perfect synchronization and shared effort—principles he brings directly to our development process. Just like in rowing, Chris knows that individual strength means nothing without seamless collaboration.

This collaborative philosophy fundamentally changed how we work with clients. Instead of positioning ourselves as the experts who disappear into a creative cave and emerge with a finished product, we invite clients into the process as true collaborators.

We enjoy working with mission-driven organizations—nonprofits, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and social impact companies—because they understand that meaningful work requires meaningful partnerships. These clients don’t just want a beautiful website; they want a digital presence that authentically serves their community and advances their mission.

A prime example of the ultimate client collaboration was our work with fundraising and philanthropy expert Sterrin Bird of Wingspan Philanthropy. In 2020, we crafted a 3-year capital campaign for a nonprofit together that resulted in a stunning $70M of funding. It’s truely amazing what creative minds and collaborative teams can do together to make a difference.

When an organization shares their deep understanding of their audience’s needs, and we combine that with our technical expertise and design thinking, something magical happens. The final product isn’t just “our design” or “their content”—it’s a true collaboration that serves users better than either of us could have created alone.

The Ripple Effect of Open Collaboration

What I’ve discovered is that when you build a business around collaborative values, it creates ripple effects that extend far beyond your immediate work.

Our clients become more digitally literate because they’re involved in the process. Our team members grow because they’re constantly learning from each other. And the end users—the people visiting these websites—benefit from more thoughtful, accessible, and user-centered design because their needs were considered by a diverse group of people throughout the entire process.

We share our knowledge through blog posts, open source contributions, and speaking engagements—not because we have to, but because it aligns with our core belief that the web gets better when we all get better together.

Finding Your Collaborative Partners

Not every client is ready for true collaboration. Some organizations are used to hierarchical, vendor-client relationships where communication flows one way and revisions happen at the end. And that’s okay—but it’s not where we thrive.

We’ve learned to identify potential partners early in the conversation. They’re the clients who ask thoughtful questions about our process, who want to understand not just what we’re building but why. They’re organizations that value their team’s input and recognize that the people closest to their users often have the best insights about what those users need.

These collaborative clients push us to do our best work. They challenge our assumptions, share resources we wouldn’t have found otherwise, and help us create solutions that truly serve their communities.

What I’ve found is that when you’re clear about your values and consistent in how you apply them, you attract the right kind of work and the right kind of people. People love working in an environment where their ideas matter. Our client relationships are built on mutual respect and shared goals. Together, we’re creating work that makes a genuine difference. When we help a healthcare organization make their services more accessible, or support a school or educational nonprofit in reaching more students, we’re not just building websites—we’re contributing to positive change in the world.

As the technology industry continues to evolve, I’m more convinced than ever that collaboration isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. The challenges we’re solving are too complex, and the communities we’re serving are too vast and diverse, for any single person or organization to have all the answers.

Whether it’s ensuring digital accessibility, creating inclusive user experiences, or building sustainable web practices, the solutions will come from bringing different perspectives together and sharing knowledge openly.

The open source values I learned at Cal State Long Beach continue to guide everything we do. They remind me that our work is bigger than our individual contributions, and that the best way to build something meaningful is to build it together.

If you’re a mission-driven organization looking for a true partner in your digital journey—someone who will collaborate with you, not just deliver to you—I’d love to start a conversation. Because the best work always happens when we work together.