Bell Kiosk makes websites by hand for humans.

...a practical web studio & website repair shop run by Elliott Cost.

Open for websites

Services

One page website

Anything that fits on one page. Hand written HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Many page website

Portfolios, blogs, or sites that need space to grow over time. Built with Kirby CMS so you can update content yourself.

From your designs

Already have it designed? Send me your Figma and I'll build it by hand. Built with Kirby CMS so you can update content yourself.

Maintenance & repair

Bug fixes, design updates, or migrating to simpler tools.

I price every website individually and with care. After we talk, I'll put together a quote that fits.

“I recommend Elliott’s work to everyone who doesn’t want their website to look like an IKEA-decorated Airbnb”

Kristoffer Tjalve, Naive Weekly

Tell me about your website →

or email email@bellkiosk.website

Websites

Just launched Currently working on

thecreativeindependent.com/ten-years	DesignProgramming
rebeccatoh.co	DesignProgramming
naiveweekly.com	DesignProgramming
faberfabrica.com	Programming
smeiklej.com	DesignProgramming
the-rad-lab.org	ProgrammingMaintenance
dandelioncoffee.co.uk	DesignProgramming
2026.html.energy	DesignProgramming
armandoveve.com	Maintenance
Lai Yi Ohlsen / Internet Index	Design
robarcand.info	DesignProgramming
internetphonebook.net with Kristoffer Tjalve	Design Programming
riversinstitute.org with Studio Ercan–Li	DesignProgrammingMaintenance
vidarucli.com	Programming
uncommonfruits.robidacollective.com with Companion–Platform	Programming
werkbank.today with Gijs de Boer and Emma Verhoeven	Programming
psychotherapyeast.org	DesignProgramming
usethehumanvoice.com	DesignProgramming
elliehunter.com	DesignProgramming
stacibushea.care with Rietlanden Women's Office	Programming
jessepresse.nl with Rietlanden Women's Office	Programming
diagram.website with Kristoffer Tjalve	DesignProgramming
thecreativeindependent.com with Laurel Schwulst	DesignProgramming
lauriesimmons.net with Becca Abbe	ProgrammingMaintenance
carrolldunham.net with Carl Williamson	ProgrammingMaintenance
kinet.media	DesignProgramming
babayaga.earth	Design Programming
topospress.com	DesignProgramming
bentoism.org with Laurel Schwulst	Maintenance
tspacerhinebeck.org	Maintenance

Words from humans

“Elliott is a craftsman. His websites are beautiful, simple, and easy to maintain. Hire Elliott and you’ll get something totally unique. Not just in terms of the visual style, but also in terms of the *vibe*.”

Giles Turnbull, gilest.org

“Elliott is my favorite web designer. He’s knows both code and spirit.”

Laurel Schwulst, designer, artist, writer, educator, and technologist.

“When you work with Elliott you enter a world made of web ethics and aesthetics, you learn a new funky vocabulary and, without knowing, you suddenly become part of the coolest gang of sweet and nerdy web people and part of their stories!”

Robida Collective

“Elliott is perfect for one page websites - ideally hosted on Are.na - which contain some unexpected, shiny, tingly magic!”

Vida Rucli

“Elliott brings a warm timbre to the web, and a kind meticulousness to how it’s built. In tandem, these qualities make for websites that you want to spend time inside of.”

Companion–Platform

“Elliott is one of the most creative people and designers I’ve worked with, and he added so much magic to The Creative Independent—blurred filters, a choose-your-own-adventure pathway, a page that rained. We worked together on both digital and physical projects, and he always (always) offered surprising, colorful, and poetic details to whatever he touched.”

Brandon Stosuy, co-founder of The Creative Independent

Process

We call and talk about what kind of website you need.
I sketch some ideas, and ask you for feedback.
I code the site (and set up Kirby if needed).
The site goes live and I show you how to make updates.

Websites typically take 6-8 weeks depending on complexity.

Made with hands

I use fundamental web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) that have been around since the beginning of the web. Every website boils down to these, so they are not going anywhere and no corporation owes them.

When there's a need for a CMS (an easy way to update the content on your site), I use Kirby CMS which has been around since 2009, is written in PHP, and reliable.

Questions

What is a handmade site?

It can feel a little odd to describe websites as handmade. After all, is code ever truly crafted by hand? When I use the word handmade, I’m talking about building a site with the core languages of the web (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and the feeling it creates while you browse. These are sites where you can sense a person behind the work rather than a single click on a template. The design might echo your personality, feel like a house by a river, or be a bit rough around the edges.

Can I update it myself?

Yes! Static sites need some HTML knowledge. Kirby sites have a friendly panel.

How long does it take?

Usually 6-8 weeks. Single-page sites are quicker, multi-page sites with Kirby take a bit longer.

How does hosting work?

For static sites, I recommend using GitHub Pages (free). If you already have a hosting provider, we can also work with that as long as they have basic SSH support (most do).

For Kirby sites, I use NearlyFreeSpeech, Uberspace, Dreamhost, or Digital Ocean (around €5–15/month). Down the road, you can always move your site to another server.

Can you build a very interactive site for me?

I focus on making straightforward, readable sites. It depends on the project, of course, but I tend to design less interactive, flashy websites. Sometimes people refer to this as a website having, HTML Energy.

How is this different from any other web design studio?

It's fairly similar, but in this case there's a focus on hand making sites from scratch. The websites I design are not slick or flashy. You can see some examples above.

Can I hire you to make a shop website?

Maybe so! I've worked on several shop sites in the past. While most shop platforms are closed-source environments, we can always keep the checkout and payment-sensitive stuff on the platform and custom build everything else from scratch. That way you aren't locked into a template that only works on one platform.

Do you use LLM tools to code?

Sometimes. That might sound a bit contradictory to a handmade approach. I believe there is a balance between using these tools and writing everything from scratch. I treat LLMs like any other tool. I like to write HTML and CSS by hand and at times I use an LLM to help with more complex JavaScript. Sometimes there is no need for it and I appreciate those moments.

Do you use frameworks?

No. Most sites don't need them. I use plain HTML and CSS. If a little JavaScript helps, I'll add just what's needed.