That's how long they take to write you off.

Content is king. Yours should be breathing fire.

Watch the gap close → Brief me →

Who it's for

You're not hard to trust. You're hard to see.

Women in business. Community groups and charities. People serious about making a real difference — who still get sized up before they get listened to.

01Twenty years qualified. “Are you on reception, love?”
02Running something your community relies on. “Aw, is it a little hobby?”
03Doing it properly, not cheaply. Up against a £99 template and a promise.

Try it yourself

The concept gap. Ask it something real.

Type an actual question about your business. Watch what AI does with it, next to what I'd actually do with it. Then — the important bit — tell it the real answer, and watch what happens even then.

1

Ask a real question

The kind a customer might quietly wonder before they ring.

What AI says back

Ask the question to find out…

the concept gap
What I'd actually ask you

Ask the question to find out…

That's the gap.

AI answers instantly and says nothing. A human asks back — understands you, and remembers your real true value.

2

Now tell it the truth

Answer the follow-up on the right, honestly. Then watch what each side does with the exact same information.

AI, told exactly that

Waiting to hear it…

Me, told exactly that

Waiting to hear it…

Same fact. Different fate.

Even handed the real answer, AI smooths it into the same three adjectives it uses for everyone. It can't tell a good detail from a boring one — a human can, and knows to leave it exactly as you said it.

Knock, knock.
Artificial intelligence.
Sorry, that was a mistake. I am not capable of knocking… yet.
AI
Who's there?
Artificial intelligence who?
Me
I'm AI-trained — I use it to skip the boring bits. It doesn't get a vote on anything that actually matters. That part's still me.
Content is King.

I say the thing everyone else softens.

Your website should too.

Sarah J Hill
Cardiff — and yes, the sunglasses are permanent

Who's building it

The world needs a human touch.

Human-first relationships, and community improvement through software that actually works. That is the whole job.

I'm Sarah — a Cardiff full-stack developer who uses code and logic to fix practical, real-world problems for real people. I build for the people the tech industry forgets, and for women running a business out of the back of a van.

  • I build tools, not just websites

    A rota that replaces the WhatsApp chaos. A project system that answers “any update?” before you ask. If a spreadsheet, a group chat or a pile of emails is running your day, I build the thing that does it properly.

  • Qualified to solve real problems — for you

    Full-stack trained, with real projects shipped. I start with how you actually work, then build around that — not around a template, and not around what’s average for your industry.

  • Front end and back end. One all-rounder.

    The bit you see — design, words, accessibility — and the bit you don’t: databases, logins, permissions, hosting. One person who understands the whole build, so nothing gets lost in a hand-off.

  • Project management that’s actually great

    Every job runs on my Dragon Fire Process: twelve phases, a live page you sign in to, one small step at a time when it’s your turn. You never chase. You just watch it move.

  • Your satisfaction is the whole point

    Straight answers, honest prices, and I don’t vanish the day after launch. The goal isn’t “good enough” — it’s you telling people about it.

  • Community at the heart of it

    Cardiff Community Meals connects kitchens with neighbours who need them. Many Voices gives students somewhere to be heard. Good software should make somewhere better to live.

The people skills

  • Listening first
  • Plain English
  • Honest pricing
  • Teamwork & hackathons
  • Clear handovers
  • Community-minded
  • Calm under deadlines

The technical skills

  • HTML & CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • Django
  • React
  • PostgreSQL
  • Three.js
  • Shopify & WordPress
  • Accessibility (WCAG)
  • AI, used wisely

AI can guess what a website in your trade usually looks like. It can’t sit across the table, hear what actually makes you different, or notice you’ve buried the best bit of your business in paragraph three. That’s the concept gap. I ask, I listen, and I build from what’s actually true.

I don’t do quiet and I don’t do jargon. If your idea won’t work I’ll say so on the first call. If it’s brilliant I’ll tell everyone who’ll stand still long enough to listen. (The sunglasses are light sensitivity, not attitude.)

Got an idea? Let's talk →

The Dragon Fire Process — my custom client process

Nobody should have to type “any update?”

The industry standard is three weeks of silence and a hopeful email. I built my own custom client process instead — streamlined, transparent, and clean enough that you'll always know exactly where things stand.

If you're a client — what you'll see

You get me. Not a ticket number.

You also get the tool I wrote to run this studio. From the day we start, your project is a live page you sign in to — every phase, every task, ticking off in front of you as it actually happens. No weekly email saying “good progress”. You watch the real thing move.

You getEvery moment, as it unfolds.

Everything you need is on that one page

Your logo, your photos, your words, the plan, the invoice, the sign-off — uploaded and downloaded from the same place, whenever it suits you. No hunting back through an email chain for the file you sent in March.

You getOne page. Nothing lost, nothing attached.

One thing at a time, and only when it's your turn

Whatever I need from you is written there in plain English, one small step at a time, with a line saying why it matters. Nothing lands on you all at once and nothing arrives as a surprise.

You getA short list you can actually finish.

Nobody has to chase anybody

You always know what is happening, what is next, and whose turn it is. If it is mine, you can see it moving. If it is yours, it is already sitting there waiting. And I don't vanish the day after launch.

You getNever having to ask again.
Look round a real project → Start with my intake questionnaire →

Left one's a working demo, loaded with a made-up client. Right one's the actual first template — nothing to sign up for either way.

The part that actually decides it

My Dragon Fire Process.

An AI can hand you a process document in ten seconds. It has never once asked why your last three customers actually found you, or noticed you'd buried the best thing about your business in paragraph three.

That's the concept gap — and it's exactly where a human earns their keep. I ask the second question, I read the room, and I build your strategy around what you actually know that nobody else does.

The goal isn't “good enough”. It's 100% satisfaction, every time — and you get to watch it happen, not take my word for it.

0
Phases
0
Guided tasks
0
Easy forms & uploads
0
% satisfaction, always
Watch today's project move → Start yours →

Built and live · the work

Real people. Real deadlines. Still warm.

Scroll and my dragon flies you through the lot — four worlds, 11 quests. Every stop opens a window on the real site, top to bottom. Scroll inside it.

Scroll to fly through my work ▼

World 1 · Cardiff & the Valleys Charity & community

Full-length screenshot of the Cardiff Community Meals website on a laptop
Cardiff Community Meals on a phone

Quest 01/11 Charity & community

Cardiff Community Meals

The quest Neighbours fund a meal, a local kitchen cooks it, and someone having a hard time gets fed — without being made to feel like a charity case.

Why it’s built this way

Bilingual from the first line, Cymraeg first and English one tap away, because it’s Cardiff’s. Plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript on Bootstrap 5 with no build step, so it opens on any phone and any volunteer can look after it. Every message on the community wall is checked by a human before it goes up — safeguarding by design.

  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • JavaScript
  • Bootstrap 5
  • English / Cymraeg
  • GitHub Pages

Visit the live site →

Full-length screenshot of the Many Voices website on a laptop
Many Voices on a phone

Quest 02/11 Charity & community

Many Voices

The quest A diversity and inclusion club run by students, for students — so belonging is the design, not an afterthought.

Why it’s built this way

Fraunces for warmth, Work Sans for easy reading, IBM Plex Mono for dates and labels. The palette deliberately dodges both ‘corporate blue’ and the stock rainbow. Bootstrap 5 so it holds up on every screen a student owns.

  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • Bootstrap 5
  • Google Fonts
  • Balsamiq wireframes
  • GitHub Pages

Visit the live site →See the code

Full-length screenshot of the Community Cooking Rota website on a laptop
Community Cooking Rota on a phone

Quest 03/11 Code Institute capstone

Community Cooking Rota

The quest Someone needs feeding for a while — a new baby, an operation, a loss. One organiser sets the dates, and the people who want to help claim the ones they can cook.

Why it’s built this way

Django, because it’s a real permissions problem: organisers own their rotas, cooks can only claim and cancel, and phone numbers only show between the two people involved in a claim. PostgreSQL on Heroku, hand-written CSS Grid with no framework, and 35 automated tests guarding the rules.

  • Python
  • Django 5
  • PostgreSQL
  • CSS Grid
  • Heroku
  • 35 tests

Visit the live site →See the code

Quest 04/11 In the forge · currently building

The Chat Shack C.I.C. In the forge

The quest A safe, confidential and non-judgemental place to talk, for a peer-led mental health community in Cardiff.

Why it’s built this way

React, Vite and TypeScript for a fast static build, with Decap CMS added so the charity’s own team can sign in and edit every page themselves — no developer on call, no monthly platform fee.

  • React
  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • Decap CMS
  • GitHub Pages

World 2 · The Forge Tools & project management

Full-length screenshot of the The Dragon Fire Process website on a laptop
The Dragon Fire Process on a phone

Quest 05/11 Tools & project management

The Dragon Fire Process

The quest Nobody should have to type “any update?” Twelve phases, 69 guided tasks, simple forms, one place to upload your logo, photos and words — and a live page every client can sign in to.

Why it’s built this way

I’m a studio of one, so nobody else notices what I skip — this does. Plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript with no server to babysit: it saves in the browser by default, with Supabase sign-in and Formspree client forms when they’re wanted. Light and dark themes run on design tokens.

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Supabase
  • Formspree
  • Design tokens

Play the demo →See the code

Full-length screenshot of CarbMate working out the carbs and a suggested dose for toast, a banana and a flat white
CarbMate on a phone

Quest 06/11 Tools · personal project

CarbMate Prototype

The quest A carb-counting and insulin bolus calculator, built because I’m a type 1 diabetic who found every existing app either too fiddly or paywalled. Type your meal in plain English, check the carbs it finds, add your blood glucose — and see the suggested dose with every step of the maths shown.

Why it’s built this way

A Python FastAPI back end with a rules engine that reads ordinary sentences (“two slices of toast and a banana”) and turns them into weighed portions. Safety first: every assumption is shown, every number can be changed, and it says loudly that it’s a prototype — not a validated medical device.

  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Rules engine
  • Heroku

Try the prototype →

World 3 · Market Town Business & ecommerce

Full-length screenshot of the Dragon Fire Design website on a laptop
Dragon Fire Design on a phone

Quest 07/11 My studio · this site

Dragon Fire Design

The quest Websites for tradeswomen and women in business who keep getting pre-judged — proof first, so nobody writes them off in three seconds.

Why it’s built this way

Hand-written HTML, CSS and JavaScript — no framework, no build step, nothing to rot — and Lighthouse 100 across the board. The dragon is a real 3D model in Three.js, breathing a hand-tuned canvas particle flame.

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Three.js
  • Canvas
  • Lighthouse 100

You’re on it →

Full-length screenshot of the Muslimah Web Design website on a laptop
Muslimah Web Design on a phone

Quest 08/11 Business site

Muslimah Web Design

The quest Web design and WordPress consulting for Muslim women, by a Muslim woman — halal guidance and the best result for the budget in hand.

Why it’s built this way

Real client work and reviews up front, because trust is the sale. Fraunces for warmth and Inter for clarity, on light hand-built pages that stay quick on any phone.

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Google Fonts
  • Responsive

Visit the live site →

Full-length screenshot of the Ember website on a laptop
Ember on a phone

Quest 09/11 In the forge · ecommerce theme

Ember In the forge

The quest A marketplace theme for Shopify and WooCommerce — all the buzz of a marketplace, none of the tat.

Why it’s built this way

Phone-first, with an app-style bottom bar, category bubbles, lightning deals and shop-by-budget. Built twice — as a Shopify Online Store 2.0 theme and a WordPress block theme — so shop owners edit every word visually, no code.

  • Shopify OS 2.0
  • Liquid
  • WordPress block theme
  • WooCommerce

See Ember →

World 4 · The Arena Hackathons & team builds

Full-length screenshot of the reci.py website on a laptop
reci.py on a phone

Quest 10/11 Code Institute hackathon · team of 5

reci.py

The quest A community cookbook for people who write code — and need feeding. Simple recipes, healthy meals, for coders.

Why it’s built this way

Django with allauth sign-in, a moderation queue so every recipe is reviewed before it’s published, comments and a notification inbox. Built as a team with Kieron, Corrine, Charles and Qasim — my part was the paginated ‘browse recipes’ home page.

  • Python
  • Django
  • PostgreSQL
  • Bootstrap 5
  • allauth
  • Heroku

Visit the live site →See the code

Full-length screenshot of the Mission Control website on a laptop
Mission Control on a phone

Quest 11/11 Bootcamp hackathon · team of 4

Mission Control

The quest A Pomodoro focus timer with a mission list, so the clock and the to-do list finally live on one screen.

Why it’s built this way

Tomato red on near-black — a nod to ‘Pomodoro’ — with every colour pair checked against WCAG. Vanilla JavaScript, keyboard and screen-reader friendly, and your missions survive a refresh. Built with Rauhan, Amir and Davy.

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Bootstrap 5
  • localStorage
  • WCAG AA

Visit the live site →See the code

Final world · The Castle Your quest

Next quest yours

Your business, breathing fire.

That’s the map so far. The next world on it could be yours — tell me what you’re building and I’ll tell you, straight, what it takes.

Brief me →Carry on down the page ↓

In their words

Ask the people who paid me.

“You made my business idea come to life. Better than I imagined.”

Umm AbdulHakeem

“The passion and enthusiasm Sarah has — she absolutely delivered on it.”

Bev IBJ

“If you're going to do a job at all, make sure it's done properly.”

Kate Healthy Muslimah

DIY ecommerce theme · designed and built by me

Ember. A proper shop, boxed and ready to go.

Not ready for a full custom build? Ember is the ecommerce theme I made myself — the same care and quality as my client work, packed into a download. Install it in about two minutes, then make it yours: your logo, your colours, your words, your products. No code, no developer.

The whole Ember home page on a laptop, from the welcome card down to the reviews
Ember on a tablet
Ember on a phone, with the app-style bar along the bottom

Scroll inside the laptop to see the whole home page.

Everything in the box

  • Category bubblesA swipeable row of round pictures — one tap to an aisle.
  • Lightning dealsSale items with a live countdown that resets at midnight.
  • Cards that sellStars, savings, sale badges and one-tap Add to basket.
  • Shop by budgetUnder £5, £10, £20 — straight into a filtered shop.
  • Delivery promise“Order within 2h 30m and it ships today.”
  • Free delivery nudgeA progress bar in the basket that fills as they add.
  • App-style bottom barHome, Shop, Deals, Account, Basket — under their thumb.
  • Proper filtersPrice, categories, ratings and stock, so people find it.
  • Search front and centreA big, friendly search bar with live suggestions.

Same look. Pick your platform.

Shopify

Choose Shopify if you want it all handled.

Hosting, payments, security and updates are done for you. You just sell.

  • Takes Shop Pay, Apple Pay and cards out of the box
  • 25 drag-in sections and 8 colour schemes
  • Marketplace extras: “Sold by”, “Only 3 left” and a deals countdown
  • Variants, swatches, subscriptions and gift cards
  • Works on any Shopify plan

Make it yours in Online Store → Customize. Drag, drop, click, type.

£59 one-off · Online Store 2.0 theme

Get Ember for Shopify →

WordPress + WooCommerce

Choose WooCommerce if you want to own everything.

Your site, your server, your data — and no monthly theme fees, ever.

  • Takes Stripe, PayPal and Klarna, with any shipping and tax rules
  • 16 drag-in patterns and 5 one-click styles
  • A ready-made Deals page, budget chips and delivery promise
  • Every page, header and footer edited visually
  • Needs WordPress 6.5+ and WooCommerce 8.5+

Make it yours in Appearance → Editor. Every page, visually.

£59 one-off · WordPress block theme

Get Ember for WooCommerce →

Building shops for clients, or can’t decide? Get both for £89.

Out of the box and into your business

  1. 1Upload the zipAbout two minutes. Don’t unzip it — your platform does the rest.
  2. 2Make it look like youPick a style, set your colours and fonts, drop in your logo.
  3. 3Fill it with your shopDrag sections around, change every word, add your products.
  4. 4Stuck? Ask a humanEmail me with your licence key — usually answered the same day.
Have a proper look at Ember → Prices & licences

Wherever you are, it lands in Cardiff

Say hello

Let's get you taken seriously.

Tell me what you do and what's driving you mad about it. Two working days, an honest answer — even if that answer is “this isn't for you, and here's why”.

Start a project enquiry →