About fresh tilled soil

A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist and evolutionary strategist.- R. Buckminster Fuller

What do we do?

We’re a passionate team of web designers that create simple, usable and beautiful looking websites and application user interfaces.

Our web solutions increase traffic, conversions and customer loyalty for clients.

Like most small studios, we have neither the resources nor the desire to be everything to everyone. Being everything to everyone incurs huge costs in complexity, reduces reliability, and slows efficiency. Things that neither we nor our our clients can afford. Even though we do work with some of the largest companies in the world, we love to work with founder-managed businesses that have a respect for the fact that they can’t do everything themselves. We focus on launching successful web projects with our entrepreneurial-minded clients.

How are we different from other web designers?

We are not just designers, we are experienced business owners that happen to be really good at design too (in our humble opinion). We always start with the question “does this feature or element enhance or reduce the customer experience and contribute to the bottom-line?” We don’t only design websites to win awards, although its nice to get them when we do, we design them to give the customer a positive and memorable user experience. Take a look at some of the other reasons why so many clients have chosen to trust us over the years.

Our design studio is located at the Watch Factory in Waltham, MA

What’s with the weird name?

Why the name Fresh Tilled Soil? We see every business leader like a farmer approaching his fields in the Spring with the challenge: How will I get a great crop from this patch of soil? Only the most primitive farmers slash and burn in pursuit of new growth. Those with the best harvest have tilled their land, making it suitable for vegetation to flourish. Businesses are the same. You’re either extracting exceptional value out of your existing customers or leaving behind a trail of ashes.

Common questions and answers about our user interface design work

What do we actually do everyday?
We design graphical user interfaces for web sites and web-based applications. It’s the part of the website or web application that you interact with. The graphics, the buttons, the navigation – that’s what we design and code. Our focus is on front end graphical user interface design. This does include the XHTML and CSS, but it does not include back-end programming (PHP, ASP, .NET, etc) or database work (MySQL, SQL, etc). However, we work with back-end developers every day and would be delighted to introduce you to our favorite development teams.

Do we work with other creative or development teams?

Yes, we have worked with some of the top ad agencies and development teams in the world. Our process suits situations where multiple partners are involved in the design and development of the website or application. Our team can work with your in-house programming team, a third party, or we’ll recommend one of our trusted technology partners to create your project.

What is our process when working with clients?
We don’t start a project by showing you pictures, we start by talking to you. We listen to you and your team to determine the goals for the site from your perspective. Then we listen to your customers to find out what they want from you. Finally, we bring these together into a short list of goals for your site that will address both your needs and those of your audience.

Do you provide copywriting services?

In general we recommend working with a dedicated, professional copywriter, but if it’s something small we do have copywriting skills to fill in the gaps.

What types of clients do we work for?

Our focus ranges from entrepreneurial teams, usually with past startup success, to larger corporate clients. We don’t narrow our client list by industry, but we have been fortunate enough to have worked quite a bit with Alternative Energy, Healthcare and Education Industry clients.