Web platforms
Next.js Development
We build Next.js front ends for platforms that have to be fast on a phone and indexable by Google — usually over a Laravel or Node.js API, sometimes over a headless commerce backend. Western Sydney University's Western Edge runs on exactly this pairing.
- 2018
- building since
- 70+
- designers, engineers and product people
- 5
- regionsAustralia, Europe, the Philippines, the Middle East and the USA
- 6,500+
- commits across six repositoriesthe three SES aviation platforms we build and still run
What we build with it
Server-rendered React
Next.js gives us React’s component model with server rendering, so a platform stays fast on a mid-range phone and remains fully indexable — rather than the blank page a client-only single-page app hands a crawler.
Front end over your existing API
We most often run Next.js over a Laravel or Node.js backend, which keeps business logic where it belongs and lets the interface be rebuilt without touching the systems underneath.
Headless commerce front ends
For retailers who want full control of the storefront experience, Next.js over Shopify’s Storefront API or Adobe Commerce — the same catalogue and checkout, a front end that is entirely yours.
Core Web Vitals as a build target
Performance is designed in rather than tuned afterwards: right-sized images and derivatives, deliberate hydration, and an LCP budget the build enforces. Our own site is held to the same gates in CI.
The proof
Work we have shipped, not a capability deck.
Common questions
When is Next.js the right choice?
When you need fast, search-visible pages plus genuine application behaviour in the same product — a marketing surface and a logged-in experience, or a content-heavy site with strict performance requirements. For a straightforward brochure site, a well-built CMS theme is usually less machinery for the same result.
Can Next.js work with our existing CMS?
Yes. We commonly pair a Next.js front end with a headless CMS — including WordPress — so editors keep the interface they know while the front end is rebuilt for speed. The trade-off to weigh is live preview, which needs deliberate work to preserve in a headless setup.
Do you do React development, or only Next.js?
Next.js is React — it is the framework most production React applications use, adding routing, rendering strategies and build tooling that you would otherwise assemble yourself. So if you are looking for React developers, this is the same work. We also work on plain React applications, including ones inside a larger platform, and on React Native for mobile.
What do you build with Next.js?
Front ends for applications rather than brochure sites: Western Sydney University's Western Edge platform pairs a Next.js front end with a Laravel backend, and Booka — the venue booking platform running across the Venues NSW stadium network — is Next.js and TypeScript over Postgres. Both need real application behaviour rather than pages.
Do you work with clients outside Sydney?
Our head office is in Sydney and we work with clients across Australia — Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and regional NSW included. Delivery has been remote-first for years, so a project runs the same way whether you are ten minutes away or in another state: scheduled calls, a shared board you can see at any time, and one named point of contact. We are happy to meet in person in Sydney.
Trusted by
“I’ve worked with Michael and the Team for a number of years now on a web development project of strategic value to the University. Michael and the team work in deep partnership and are genuinely invested in the success of the project and the maximising the impact it can deliver to end users. Always exceeding expectations, you will not find a more amiable, grounded and technically proficient team!”
Kelly Whitney
WSU Associate Director; Careers, Talent & Organisational Success
Engagement models
How we work
Four straightforward ways to engage us. Pick the one that fits, or mix them as your needs change.
Staff Augmentation
Add experienced Shakewell developers, designers or specialists directly to your own team. Engagements typically run three to twelve months, but can be as short or long as you need — you get the skills without the commitment and cost of hiring full-time.
About staff augmentationFixed-Scope Projects
Have a defined outcome in mind? We scope it, price it and deliver it as a project — a clear timeline, agreed milestones and a single point of accountability from kickoff to handover.
Embedded Delivery Teams
For larger or longer-running work, a cross-functional Shakewell team — development, design and delivery management — plugs in as your delivery arm, working to your priorities and your reporting cadence.
Support & Maintenance
Already live? We keep websites, stores and apps secure, updated and performing through ongoing retainers — business-hours support as standard, with 24/7 coverage available for critical issues.
About support & maintenance