Studios | Web development

Client: Spaces Project: Spaces Studios Role: Lead Frontend Engineer Scope: Frontend Architecture, CMS Integration, Performance Optimisation Stack: Next.js, Kirby CMS

Spaces is a curated platform showcasing some of the world’s leading product and creative studios. The Studios section acts as both a directory and an editorial surface—requiring a frontend that feels refined and minimal, while remaining flexible and performant as content evolves.

I was brought in to lead the frontend development, translating design intent into a robust Next.js application and integrating it with a Kirby CMS backend to support structured content and editorial workflows.

The project required balancing three competing needs:

A high-quality, design-forward frontend that reflects the calibre of the studios featured

A CMS-driven architecture allowing content to be updated without frontend changes

Strong performance and scalability, despite media-heavy content and dynamic listings

The solution needed to feel simple on the surface, while being carefully engineered underneath.

I owned the frontend from architecture to implementation, working closely with the backend setup to ensure clean data flow between Kirby and Next.js.

Key contributions included:

Building a modular Next.js frontend optimised for maintainability and reuse

Integrating Kirby as a headless CMS, shaping data structures for studios and content

Implementing static and dynamic rendering strategies to balance speed and flexibility

Ensuring responsive layouts and performance optimisation across devices

The frontend was designed to stay out of the way—prioritising clarity, hierarchy, and content rhythm over unnecessary interaction or visual noise.

A fast, scalable frontend that cleanly consumes CMS-driven content

A platform that supports ongoing editorial updates without redeployments

A polished, minimal interface aligned with Spaces’ design sensibility

A technical foundation that can evolve as the Studios platform grows