More By Us by Maria Burgelova Demonstrates How Bold Web Design Strengthens Brand Presence
Inside the Award Winning Website Redesign that Balances Bold Visual Identity with Clear Brand Communication for Business Clients
TL;DR
More By Us doubled their website traffic by using a black and white palette as a frame for diverse client work. The Silver A' Design Award-winning redesign proves research-driven decisions and strategic restraint beat trendy aesthetics every time.
Key Takeaways
- A neutral black and white palette creates a cohesive frame that allows diverse portfolio work to command attention without visual competition
- Research-driven design based on actual client conversations produces measurable results including doubled website traffic
- Accessible technology platforms enable sustainable website evolution while empowering team members to implement changes directly
Every creative studio faces a delightful paradox when designing their own website. The portfolio page showcases brilliant work for clients across cosmetics, medical technology, security systems, and software platforms. Each project bursts with its own color palette, visual language, and brand personality. Yet the website housing all the portfolio diversity needs its own distinct identity. How does a design studio present dozens of different visual worlds while maintaining a cohesive digital home? The question of maintaining cohesion while showcasing diversity sparks genuine creative excitement because the answer reveals fundamental truths about visual hierarchy, brand communication, and the strategic use of restraint.
Maria Burgelova and her team at More By Us confronted the cohesion challenge head-on during their 2025 website redesign. Their solution earned recognition from the A' Design Award, specifically a Silver distinction in Website and Web Design. The project demonstrates something valuable for any enterprise seeking to strengthen its digital presence: sometimes the boldest design decision is knowing exactly when to step back. The More By Us approach created what the team describes as a "frame" for their diverse client work, using a black and white base palette with strategic color accents that allow portfolio pieces to command attention while the studio's confident typography and clear navigation communicate expertise without visual competition.
What makes the More By Us project particularly instructive for brands evaluating their own web presence is the grounding in real user behavior. The redesign doubled website traffic. That outcome did not emerge from arbitrary aesthetic choices but from structured research into how potential clients actually navigate creative studio websites, what questions visitors arrive with, and what information prospective clients seek before reaching out for collaboration.
The Strategic Challenge: Creating Visual Hierarchy That Serves Business Goals
When a tech startup founder lands on a creative studio's website, the founder carries specific questions. Can the team deliver design? Do the designers understand my industry? Will working with them be efficient or chaotic? The questions require clear answers, delivered quickly, through both content and visual experience. The More By Us team recognized that answering visitor questions effectively meant rethinking the entire digital architecture.
The previous website, like many creative studio sites, prioritized the work itself. Projects filled the screen. Client logos suggested credibility. Yet something was missing. Maria Burgelova noticed that visitors lacked context about who was actually making the projects happen. "We never had a proper about us page," she explains. "The work always came first, and our own story kept getting pushed aside."
The observation about missing context sparked a complete rethinking of the site's structure. Working with senior designer Bozhidar Hadzhiev, Burgelova began exploring ways to give the studio's human element proper presence without diminishing the portfolio's impact. That single exploration eventually triggered the entire redesign, demonstrating how addressing one foundational gap can reveal opportunities for comprehensive transformation.
For enterprises considering their own digital presence, the More By Us story offers a valuable lesson. Websites often evolve through accumulation. New pages get added. Navigation expands. Content grows. Yet rarely do organizations step back to ask whether the foundational structure still serves their actual business objectives. The More By Us team did exactly that, and the results speak through their traffic metrics.
The Design Solution: Bold Minimalism as a Strategic Frame
The visual approach that emerged from the redesign process offers a masterclass in strategic restraint. A black and white base palette creates what the team calls a "frame" for their portfolio work. Bold typography reinforces the studio's confident approach. Colorful accents appear strategically, drawing attention without overwhelming.
The solution directly addressed what Burgelova identifies as the primary creative challenge: "balancing a bold design aesthetic with the need to showcase the studio's actual design work." Internally, the team wanted to avoid creating a website that overshadowed the portfolio itself. Externally, the designers recognized that the abundance of visually driven creative studio websites made differentiation difficult.
The black and white foundation solves both problems simultaneously. When a visitor scrolls through case studies, each project's unique visual identity pops against the neutral canvas. The website becomes a gallery where the artwork takes center stage while the gallery architecture communicates sophistication and intentionality. The frame approach allows More By Us to work with clients across dramatically different industries without visual cacophony.
Consider the practical implications for enterprises. A tech startup case study might feature vibrant interface screens and dynamic illustrations. A medical technology project might emphasize clean precision and trust-building visuals. A cosmetics brand might burst with color and texture. On a maximalist website, the diverse projects might clash or compete. Within the More By Us framework, each project gets space to breathe while the consistent surrounding architecture communicates that one cohesive team with unified expertise created all the work.
The typography choices reinforce the expertise message. Bold, deliberate type treatments suggest confidence and clarity. The studio describes their approach as "approachable yet bold and professional," and the three qualities emerge naturally from the visual language. Nothing about the design feels tentative or apologetic. Every element serves a purpose.
Team Collaboration as Brand Expression
One of the most distinctive aspects of the More By Us website is how the site reflects collaborative creation. The project involved Creative Director Maria Burgelova, Lead Designer Maria Yordanova, Senior Designers Valeria Petrova and Bozhidar Hadzhiev, Graphic Designers Beloslava Ivanova and Boris Savev, and Copywriter Elisaveta Vakavchieva. That represents seven distinct creative voices contributing to a single cohesive vision.
Burgelova identifies maintaining consistency while giving everyone creative expression as the biggest challenge: "With so many designers involved, the process was a balance between creative freedom and clear direction. Letting each person leave their mark without losing coherence took some work, but the effort was worth it."
The collaborative approach reflects how the studio actually works with clients. The team does not impose a single aesthetic but rather develops creative solutions that serve each client's unique needs. The More By Us website demonstrates collaborative capability through the very creation process. When a potential client sees that seven people contributed to the site's design while maintaining visual unity, the potential client understands something important about how More By Us operates.
The internship page exemplifies the collaborative philosophy particularly well. Designed entirely by the studio's interns, the page represents genuine creative expression from emerging designers while fitting seamlessly within the overall site architecture. For enterprises evaluating creative partners, the internship page detail communicates valuable information about the studio's culture, mentorship practices, and confidence in developing talent.
What emerges from understanding the collaborative process is recognition that the website itself serves as a portfolio piece. The site demonstrates the studio's ability to manage complex creative projects with multiple contributors while delivering cohesive results. Enterprises seeking design partnerships can observe exactly how More By Us handles the kind of multi-stakeholder projects the enterprises might commission.
Technical Accessibility and Long-Term Sustainability
The More By Us website runs on a popular content management system with a widely-used page builder. The technology choice might surprise observers expecting a cutting-edge custom build from an award-winning creative studio. Yet the decision reflects strategic thinking about long-term sustainability and team accessibility.
"The platform is intuitive and flexible, which makes the system easy for new designers on the team to jump in and start building," Burgelova explains. The studio prioritized enabling designers to control the website directly without requiring specialized coding knowledge. The approach democratizes ongoing maintenance and allows the site to evolve as the team evolves.
For enterprises evaluating their own web platforms, the accessibility philosophy offers important considerations. Custom-coded websites can deliver remarkable results, yet custom builds often create dependency on specific developers or require expensive ongoing technical support. The More By Us approach suggests that sophisticated design outcomes remain achievable on accessible platforms when skilled designers apply strategic thinking.
The technical implementation includes responsive design principles ensuring optimal viewing across devices, performance optimization techniques minimizing loading times, and attention to accessibility guidelines throughout design and development. The technical elements work together to create user experiences that feel seamless whether visitors arrive on desktop computers, tablets, or mobile phones.
The platform choice also supports the studio's philosophy that websites should evolve continuously. "No website is ever really finished," Burgelova notes. "A site should grow with the team behind the site." The chosen tools enable growth without requiring major technical overhauls for each iteration. When the studio's approach shifts or new services emerge, team members can implement changes directly.
Those interested in seeing how the technical choices manifest in practice can explore the award-winning more by us website redesign through the A' Design Award winner showcase, where the project's approach to balancing accessibility with sophistication becomes tangible.
Research-Driven Design Decisions
The More By Us redesign emerged from genuine engagement with user behavior rather than purely aesthetic preference. "We talk to our clients and potential clients every day," Burgelova explains. "The questions people ask and the information visitors look for shaped how we structured the website. The site is built around real conversations."
The research-grounded approach produced a content architecture optimized for how actual visitors navigate and what visitors seek. The site features detailed case studies allowing potential clients to understand the studio's approach to specific project types. Industry-focused content helps visitors from particular sectors find relevant examples quickly. An about page finally gives context about the team behind the work. Client resources provide valuable information for existing partnerships.
The structure reflects understanding that different visitors arrive with different intentions. A startup founder evaluating potential design partners needs case studies demonstrating relevant experience. A current client seeking project assets needs efficient access to resources. A journalist researching the studio needs background information and contact details. Each user pathway receives thoughtful attention.
For enterprises considering their own website improvements, the research methodology offers a template. Rather than beginning with aesthetic preferences or competitive analysis, the More By Us team started with the questions their actual audiences were asking. Content and structure emerged from genuine user needs rather than industry conventions or internal assumptions.
The doubled website traffic following the redesign validates the research approach. When websites answer the questions visitors actually carry, engagement increases naturally. Clear navigation and intuitive information architecture reduce friction between arrival and desired action. The More By Us results demonstrate what becomes possible when research drives design decisions.
Embracing Imperfection and Continuous Evolution
Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the More By Us project is Burgelova's candid acknowledgment that perfection remains perpetually elusive. "My first instinct, of course, was to redesign the site immediately," she admits. "That is just how designers are wired. Once something is done, the work starts feeling old."
The observation resonates with any creative professional. The gap between vision and execution always exists. New ideas emerge before previous ones fully manifest. Yet Burgelova chose to resist the immediate impulse toward revision, allowing the award-winning version to exist as a complete statement rather than a perpetual work in progress.
Her philosophy embraces websites as living entities requiring continuous attention: "We evolve constantly, not just in the kind of work we do, but in how we think and operate, and our presence needs to reflect the evolution. The real challenge is staying open to change without losing the thread of who we are."
For enterprises maintaining digital presences, the living website perspective offers valuable framing. Websites need not be either static monuments or constantly shifting experiments. The goal involves maintaining core identity while remaining responsive to evolution. The More By Us team demonstrates the balance between consistency and change through their willingness to launch a complete, cohesive vision while acknowledging that future iterations will inevitably emerge.
Burgelova's reflection on the creative process itself carries wisdom: "I learned that the work does not always have to be perfect. I still want perfection, of course, but while working on the redesign, I realized that progress matters more." The mindset enables completion. Many website projects stall indefinitely as teams pursue unattainable perfection. The More By Us team shipped their vision, measured results, and now holds space for future evolution.
The Business Value of Authentic Digital Presence
What ultimately distinguishes the More By Us website is the authenticity throughout. "Our website is an amalgam of everyone on the team," Burgelova observes, "shaped by our ways of thinking and working together. The site is not a style you would want to copy. The website is just who we are."
The statement captures something essential about effective brand communication. Enterprises seeking strong digital presence sometimes chase trends or mimic competitors. The results often feel generic, interchangeable with dozens of similar sites in the same industry. The More By Us approach rejects imitation in favor of genuine expression, and that genuineness communicates instantly to visitors.
Potential clients scanning the website encounter a team confident enough to present themselves authentically. The bold typography, the collaborative creation process, the research-driven structure, the accessible technology, and the embraced imperfection all combine to paint a picture of how working with the studio would actually feel. No aspirational positioning or inflated claims interfere with honest communication.
The diverse client base the studio serves benefits from the authenticity. Tech startups, cosmetics companies, medical enterprises, and security firms all require design partners capable of understanding their unique contexts. A studio comfortable in its own identity can adapt to client needs without imposing rigid aesthetic preferences. The More By Us website demonstrates adaptability through the very structure.
Closing Reflections
The More By Us website redesign offers enterprises valuable lessons about strengthening digital presence through bold yet restrained design decisions. A black and white palette creates space for diverse portfolio work to shine. Collaborative team processes produce cohesive results. Accessible technology enables sustainable long-term evolution. Research-driven structure addresses actual user questions. Authentic expression builds trust more effectively than imitative positioning.
The project earned Silver recognition at the A' Design Award, validating the approach to balancing visual impact with clear brand communication. For enterprises evaluating their own digital strategies, the principles demonstrated here offer actionable direction. Strong web presence emerges when design serves genuine business objectives and user needs rather than aesthetic trends or competitive anxiety.
What would happen if your organization applied the same research-first, authenticity-centered approach to your own digital presence?