Updated November 2026
How We Work at Garden Eight: Team, Roles, Process, and Collaboration
This guide explains how a website project with Garden Eight is organized and how it moves from start to finish. Whether you are considering working with us for the first time or we are already working together, we hope it serves as a useful reference for decisions and planning.
Overview
- Scope: This guide covers website projects (web design and web development). For other kinds of requests, we will advise you individually depending on the details.
- Typical timeline: Around 3 months to 1 year, depending on the scale and requirements of the project. If you need something delivered within a few weeks, please get in touch and we will see what is possible.
- Process: Inquiry → Discovery and requirements → Estimate and contract → Planning and structure → Assets and development environment → Design → Development → Testing and launch
- Team: 7 people as of 2026. Our designers also handle development.
- Schedule: We will share a detailed schedule at the start of the project.
- Pricing: We prepare an individual estimate after discovery. We can give you a rough figure at the inquiry stage, but please note that it is not a formal estimate.
- Contact: Please start by writing to hello@garden-eight.com. Hiroki Noma or Natsuko Sakai will get back to you.
Team
Structure
As of 2026, Garden Eight is a team of seven: two project managers (web directors) and five designer-developers.
What makes us different
- We specialize in digital design with an international perspective. You can see our awards from international web design competitions on our About page.
- Our designers work on both design and development (coding). This means one person may take a project all the way from design through development, so the two never become separate tracks and the work moves forward as one.
Roles
Project Manager (Web Director)
Your main point of contact. The project manager clarifies the goals and background of your request, and manages the overall direction and schedule of the project.
Designer
Responsible for designing the visuals and the experience. Beyond the website design itself, designers also shape the interactions, such as how elements move as you scroll and how pages transition.
Developer
Builds the design. Developers also handle expressive techniques such as WebGL and 3D, CMS (content management system) design, and attention to performance and accessibility.
These roles are a guide to each person's strengths. In practice, roles overlap within a project, and it is common for one person to handle both design and development.
Process
Inquiry
Please write to us at hello@garden-eight.com. It is fine to reach out even if your plans are not yet fully formed. Having the following information ready will help things go smoothly:
- The goals and background of your project
- Your approximate budget
- Your preferred timeline
- Websites or images you would like to use as references
Discovery and requirements
We learn about the goals and background of the website you have in mind. We are happy to join at any stage — whether the final form is already decided, or the project is still at an early planning stage with no fixed outcome yet.
Case: Digital Hollywood, "HONKA RE:FRAME!"
The class name, program outline, and the decision to make a website were already in place, but how to present it had not yet been decided. We joined at that stage. Rather than a request to "make this for us," the project began with an invitation to "work alongside us on a project that's already underway." For more details, see the article on Web Designing (September 29, 2026, Japanese).
Led by: Project Manager
Estimate and contract
Pricing varies with many factors, including the scale, schedule, and requirements of the project. Based on what we learn during discovery, we organize the deliverables and schedule and prepare an estimate tailored to you. We can also adjust the scope to fit your budget.
Led by: Project Manager
Example deliverables: Estimate, contract
Planning and structure
Based on discovery, we define the structure of the website. Specifically, we create materials such as a sitemap and wireframes.
Led by: Project Manager, Designer
Example deliverables: Site structure (sitemap), wireframes, visual concepts, etc.
Assets and development environment
We prepare the assets and environment needed to build the website, such as photography, video, text, translations, and the development environment. In many cases, clients provide the assets, but we can also take on photography, video production, and copywriting. In those cases, we work with external partners.
Led by: Project Manager
Design
Using the approved wireframes as a foundation, we design the website. We first design and present the Home page, which sets the basis for the overall design. Once it is approved, we move on to the other pages. If you are looking for a rich, expressive website, we may also propose animations at this stage.
Typical number of revision rounds: About two on average (for example, one round when we present the Home page and one when we present the other pages). We can adjust this to fit your internal approval process, so please let us know.
Led by: Project Manager, Designer
Development
We build the website based on the approved design. The technologies we use vary by project — for example, Blender for 3D, Three.js for WebGL, and GSAP for animation, combined as needed. We do not use technology for its own sake; we choose it as a means to achieve the expression and experience we are aiming for.
Once development is complete, we share a test site. On the test site, we work through the final review of the content together with you, and address any display issues or bugs.
Led by: Designer, Developer
Testing and launch
We check the display and behavior of the website before launch. The launch date and time are decided in consultation with you in advance. If you would like the launch to take place during holiday periods such as Obon (mid-August) or the New Year holidays, additional fees may apply, so please let us know ahead of time.
Post-launch support: If you would like us to maintain and manage the website after launch, please let us know in advance. We offer two options: a fixed monthly plan, or estimates on a case-by-case basis whenever changes or maintenance are needed. You can choose whichever suits you best.
Led by: Project Manager, Developer
When design begins
- During planning and structure: The project manager takes the lead in exploring the design direction together with you. Depending on the project, designers and developers may also take part.
- After the wireframes are approved: The designer takes over the organized information and begins the full design phase.
Please note that if you require design work before a contract is signed — for example, as part of a competition or pitch — a separate fee will apply.
Working with external partners
In addition to our in-house team, we sometimes work with external partners. Depending on the project, we can propose the right team for areas such as overall branding, graphic design including logos, photography, video production, and copywriting. We are also happy to discuss work beyond websites.
- Arranging partners: We usually propose partners ourselves, but we are also happy to work with partners you designate.
- Day-to-day communication: As a rule, we handle communication with external partners. With everyone's agreement, you can also communicate with them directly.
- Contracting: We decide this together with you based on the nature of the project. In some cases we act as the main contractor; in others, an external partner serves as the prime contractor, handling the contract and payments with you, while we take on the production work under them. We will sort out the roles and propose the most suitable arrangement.
International projects
We have worked with clients across North America, Europe, and Asia, including the United States, France, Thailand, Taiwan, and Australia.
Inquiries in English are answered in English. Depending on the situation, we either handle communication directly or bring in a partner for project management. We will propose and discuss the best approach for each project.
Contact
For any inquiries, please feel free to write to us at hello@garden-eight.com.