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 part of the front-end team at a Shopify Plus agency, working alongside other developers on builds for brands like Gymshark, Victoria Beckham, Paul Valentine and Florence by Mills.
Today Graftstudio is a Shopify Plus Partner, and it's still me doing the work. 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.
- 2011
- Graftstudio founded
- 17 yrs
- Building on Shopify
- 150+
- Stores launched
- Plus
- Shopify Plus Partner
How we work
The things a big agency can't promise, and the questions you're right to ask a small one.
Who you actually work with
Me, from the first call to launch and beyond. The proposal, the build, the tricky checkout logic, the 8am message when a campaign goes live. There is no one to be handed off to.
Specialists, when the job needs them
Design, conversion, content and photography come from people I've collaborated with for years, brought in per project and introduced to you by name. If the work doesn't need them, you don't pay for them.
Capacity and continuity
I take on a small number of builds at a time alongside retained clients, so nothing gets rushed. Everything is documented as it is built, kept in your own Shopify and GitHub accounts, and written so another senior developer could pick it up. Nothing is locked to me.
Straight answers
If a feature isn't worth building, or a simpler route exists, you'll hear it. Clients tend to stay for years, and that only happens when the advice is honest.
Fractional
A senior Shopify developer inside your team, for the days you need one.
Some brands have a strong in-house marketing team but nobody senior on the Shopify side. Some agencies need Plus-level front-end on a project without hiring for it. Fractional means a set number of days each week or month, working in your tools alongside your people, with the same person every time.
Kind words12
What clients say once we're a few months in.
“I'd never go back to working with a large agency after working with Graftstudio.”
Niamh Russell·E-Commerce Marketing Manager
Phil Kirby·Founder
“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.”
Ernest Capbert
“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.”
Bert Beagley-Brown·Founder
“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!”
Ben Twineham·E-Commerce Marketing Manager
“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!”
Richard Sagar
Founder, The Spirited Club
“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.”
Jenny Aktas·E-com Trading Manager
“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!”
Sonny Singh
Manager - Scotland Kilt Company, KILT SOCIETY™
“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.”
Maggie Ibetson·Marketing Manager
“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.”
Andrew Goble
“Richard approached this project thoughtfully, and achieved a lot in a short time as a result. We are excited to continue working together!”
Liliya Kay·E-Commerce Manager
“Graftstudio has excellent web developers with wonderful communication skills and an eye for design.”
Ruth Haldon
Founder, Ruth Haldon Jewellery
“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.”
Work with us
Got a project in mind?
Interested in working together? We'd love to hear from you.