Project Overview

Video Formula is a young, energetic and fast-growing creative business led by an experienced freelance videographer. Formerly operating under Daniel Dennis Media, the business underwent a full rebrand to better reflect its ambition, professionalism, and position within the industry.

This project involved the design and build of a bespoke website to coincide with the rebrand—creating a central hub to showcase work, support lead generation, and act as a credible reference point for prospective clients.

Role:
Website design & development
Custom child theme built on the JohnoDEV framework

The Challenge

With the rebrand underway, the existing website no longer aligned with the quality or direction of the business. It had originally been created and maintained without professional web experience, which introduced several risks:

• The site did not reflect the level of work being produced
• It lacked clarity, structure, and confidence
• It created a weak “second impression” for potential clients
• It wasn’t built to support ongoing content or growth
  

For a creative business where trust, credibility, and presentation matter, an average or templated website risked undermining the brand before conversations even began.

Project Goals

The website needed to:

• Showcase video work without distraction
• Act as a central hub for enquiries and leads
• Align closely with the new Video Formula brand
• Perform well despite media-heavy content
• Be easy for the client to update and manage independently
  

Just as importantly, it didn’t need to be overcomplicated. The work should speak for itself.

Strategic Direction

The core vision was to create a site that felt minimal, modern, and confident, without stealing attention from the content.

The design direction was influenced by familiar, high-quality interfaces—platforms like Apple and Netflix—not as imitation, but as inspiration. These are interfaces users instinctively understand, which improves usability while allowing restraint in design decisions.

Key principles guiding the build:

• Let the video lead – layout supports content, not the other way around
• Movement with purpose – subtle motion to add polish, not noise
• Clarity over features – no unnecessary elements or over-engineering
  

Anything that didn’t directly support the goal of showcasing work and generating trust was intentionally avoided.

Approach

The site was built using a bespoke child theme on JohnoDEV, allowing a blank-canvas approach while retaining a solid, performance-focused foundation.

Using JohnoDEV removed the need to rebuild fundamentals that every site requires, while still allowing complete flexibility in how the design was expressed. This avoided the compromises that often come with adapting off-the-shelf themes—where layouts, demo content, or limitations dictate decisions rather than the brand itself.

From the client’s perspective, this resulted in:

• A faster, more reliable site
• A clean and intuitive editing experience
• Flexibility to evolve alongside the business
• Direct developer support when needed

As the first JohnoDEV client project, the build also helped shape improvements and considerations that now carry forward into future sites. More on this soon.

Highlights

Rather than listing features for their own sake, the focus was on decisions that supported the business:

• A streaming-inspired interface that feels premium without distraction
• Layouts designed to showcase media cleanly and confidently
• A structure that supports ongoing blogs, case studies, and portfolio content
• A professional presentation that aligns with an LTD-style business, not just a portfolio
  

The site functions as both a showcase and a working platform for continual content growth.

Collaboration

The project was built on an existing professional relationship, with mutual trust on both sides. Having worked in similar freelance environments, there was a shared understanding of pace, priorities, and long-term goals.

This allowed decisions to be made efficiently and with confidence, keeping the focus on outcomes rather than unnecessary complexity.

Outcome

The finished site now positions Video Formula as a confident, professional creative business with room to grow. It reflects the rebrand accurately, supports ongoing content creation, and provides a strong reference point for both new and existing clients.

Early feedback has been consistently positive, particularly around how closely the website matches the new brand identity and how premium it feels to use.

This project highlights an approach to web design that is:

• Outcome-driven rather than feature-driven
• Built around clarity, restraint, and longevity
• Tailored to freelancers and growing businesses who need flexibility
• Focused on building websites that still feel relevant months and years after launch
  

It’s a strong example of why a bespoke build can outperform off-the-shelf solutions when brand, performance, and future growth matter.

Credits

Brand Identity:
Daniel Dennis – Video Formula
Sophie Allen — Serrano Media

For a deeper look into the creative process and ongoing work, visit Video Formula.