Bell Kiosk

Bell Kiosk makes websites by hand for humans.

...a practical web design studio & website repair shop run by Elliott Cost.

Services

One page website

Anything that fits on one page. Hand written HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Starting at €1000

Many page website

Portfolios, blogs, or sites that need space to grow over time. Built with Kirby CMS so you can update content yourself.

Starting at €3500

Maintenance & repair

Bug fixes, design updates, or migrating to simpler tools.

€400/day

Prices are rough estimates to give you an idea of what a website might cost. I'll give you a more accurate quote after we talk.

Process

We call and talk about what kind of website you need.
I sketch some ideas, and ask you for feedback.
I code the site (and set up Kirby if needed).
The site goes live and I show you how to make updates.

Websites typically take 6-8 weeks depending on complexity.

email@bellkiosk.website

Made with hands

I use fundamental web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that have been around since the beginning of the web. Every website boils down to these, so they are not going anywhere and no corporation owes them.

When there's a need for a CMS (an easy way to update the content on your site), I use Kirby CMS which has been around since 2009, is written in PHP, and reliable.

Websites

Currently working on

riversinstitute.org with Studio Ercan–Li	Maintenance
internetphonebook.net with Kristoffer Tjalve	Design Programming
armandoveve.com	Maintenance
vidarucli.com	Programming
uncommonfruits.robidacollective.com with Companion–Platform	Programming
werkbank.today with Gijs de Boer and Emma Verhoeven	Programming
psychotherapyeast.org	DesignProgramming
usethehumanvoice.com	DesignProgramming
elliehunter.com	DesignProgramming
stacibushea.care with Rietlanden Women's Office	Programming
jessepresse.nl with Rietlanden Women's Office	Programming
diagram.website with Kristoffer Tjalve	DesignProgramming
thecreativeindependent.com with Laurel Schwulst	DesignProgramming
lauriesimmons.net with Becca Abbe	Programming
carrolldunham.net with Carl Williamson	Programming
kinet.media	DesignProgramming
babayaga.earth	Design Programming
topospress.com	DesignProgramming
bentoism.org with Laurel Schwulst	Maintenance
tspacerhinebeck.org	Maintenance

Words from humans

"I recommend Elliott's work to everyone who doesn’t want their website to look like an IKEA-decorated Airbnb"

— Kristoffer Tjalve, Naive Weekly

Questions

What is a handmade site?

It's designed and coded from scratch by a human (in this case me). It uses fundamental languages of the web (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that can be run on any server so you are not locked into any platform.

Who is this for?

Writers, bloggers, artists, institutions, small businesses, anyone who needs a site that is practical, maintainable, and isn't locked into a platform.

Can I update it myself?

Yes! Static sites need some HTML knowledge. Kirby sites have a friendly panel.

How long does it take?

Usually 6-8 weeks. Single-page sites are quicker, multi-page sites with Kirby take a bit longer.

How does hosting work?

For static sites, I recommend using GitHub Pages (free). If you already have a hosting provider, we can also work with that as long as they have basic SSH support (most do).

For Kirby sites, I use NearlyFreeSpeech or Digital Ocean (around €5–15/month). Down the road, you can always move your site to another server.

Can you build a very interactive site for me?

I focus on making straightforward, readable sites. It depends on the project, of course, but I tend to design less interactive, flashy websites. Sometimes people refer to this as a website having, HTML Energy.

I'm a designer, can I design the site and you code it?

Yes, get in touch and we can discuss more. You'll need to provide detailed design files that I can work from.

How is this different from any other web design studio?

It's fairly similar, but in this case there's a focus on hand making sites from scratch. The websites I design are not slick or flashy. You can see some examples above.

Can I hire you to make a shop website?

Probably not. I find most e-commerce platforms closed source environments that are difficult to work with. If you need a shop I would recommend linking out to a Shopify store and using a basic template. I am happy to help with the rest of the website.

Do you use frameworks?

No. Most sites don't need them. I use plain HTML and CSS. If a little JavaScript helps, I'll add just what's needed.

Tell me more about your website