What was built.
The problem.
As a software development company, Monkey and River's website needed to do more than look good — it needed to credibly represent the calibre of their work, scale with the company's growth, and maintain a consistent brand identity across an expanding portfolio. The challenge was compounded by the nature of internal projects: limited dedicated time, competing priorities, and the need to self-direct without the urgency of an external deadline.
How it was solved.
I joined the project as developer and designer, and was subsequently promoted to Conductor and Lead Developer — a role that shifted my focus from execution to direction. I formed and led a development team, delegating work, reviewing output, and maintaining quality across iterations. The site was built on WordPress and Elementor, with custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript used to achieve the precision and flexibility the design required. Each iteration was informed by analytics, ensuring UI/UX decisions were grounded in data rather than assumption.
What it achieved.
Across three iterations, the website has seen measurable improvements in design consistency, scalability, and functionality. The project has also served as a proving ground for my growth into a leadership role — and remains an active reflection of Monkey and River's evolution as a company. I continue to lead its development as a current member of the team.
Built by
Matthew Proudfoot
WordPress Developer and Conductor at Monkey & River, based in Cape Town, South Africa. He builds websites, and leads development teams.
