Cursive

Organisations that exist to change something tend to need websites that do real work, and Cursive builds them. The York studio designs and develops bespoke websites and applications, building on Python and Django and using Wagtail as its content system. Its clients are mainly in education, not-for-profit work and commercial services, and the studio describes them as organisations with a public-benefit purpose.

Platforms for think tanks, charities and researchers

Cursive's projects include policy portals for think tanks, donation flows for charities and research repositories for academics. One case involved reworking a think tank's website so that global audiences could get important answers faster, with quicker load times. Another was a platform for a pro-democracy organisation that went live in about six weeks without compromising its values. The studio also built an educational game that helps primary school children learn about common dangers before they move on to secondary school.

Wagtail and Django work

The studio presents itself as a team of Wagtail and Django specialists, and it argues that Wagtail suits a team that needs a flexible, easy-to-use publishing system. It takes on upgrades of existing Django applications as well as new projects. It has also carried out a major software upgrade on an online interview platform and refocused a client's online presence on a global audience.

Keeping live platforms running

Support and maintenance is the other large part of the work: hosting, security testing, compliance and accessibility checks, and ongoing care from people who are on call to keep a site or application running. The studio says this long-term approach prevents problems before they reach users and spares clients from endless ticket chasing. It also supplies specialists who work alongside in-house developers, which it calls plug-in expertise for an existing team.

Search and branding for mission-led groups

Website design, UX and build aim at user-friendly experiences that guide supporters towards action. The studio's branding work aims to build trust and help people find the organisation. Its search work is meant to make sure mission-led organisations are represented properly and found easily, including in the AI tools people now use to look for answers. The studio also offers digital strategy and content strategy.