Website

Jacobs

Automation that doesn't dumb itself down.

Website

Jacobs

Automation that doesn't dumb itself down.

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00The short version

Jacobs was an internal concept built around a question: what would Zapier look like if it stopped pretending its users weren't developers? We sketched the answer.

01Overview

The brief

Jacobs is a concept for a dark-themed workflow automation platform aimed at developers, not no-code users. The marketing site is the focus: it leads with interactive, scroll-driven product demos that show the actual workflow builder rather than illustrating around it. We designed the brand and the marketing site across six weeks.

02Challenge

What we solved

Most automation tools (Zapier, Make, n8n) have marketing sites optimized for non-technical buyers, with cute illustrations and friendly mascots. The result is that developers, who are a real chunk of the actual user base, feel patronized. We wanted to design a site that treats the developer audience like adults and shows the product working rather than describing it.

03Approach

How we got there

We led with a dark-themed visual system that mirrors the IDE most developers spend their day in. The marketing site's hero is an interactive workflow builder demo: visitors can drag a few nodes and watch a real workflow run. Pricing is upfront. Documentation is one click from the hero. There are no illustrations of confused-looking businesspeople.

04Solution

What we shipped

The Jacobs concept site uses Next.js with Framer Motion for the interactive hero demo, a custom token system for the dark theme, and a deliberately technical tone of voice in the copy. Pricing leads with a clear self-serve tier rather than 'request a demo.' The design system covers the marketing site plus enough product UI hints that prospects understand what they'd be using.

05Results

12KConcept teaser visits in first month

8%Hero-to-pricing scroll conversion in concept testing

TCTechCrunch Disrupt feature consideration

ConceptAXI internal design exploration

12KConcept teaser visits in first month

8%Hero-to-pricing scroll conversion in concept testing

TCTechCrunch Disrupt feature consideration

ConceptAXI internal design exploration

05Outcome

What changed for the client

Jacobs published on the AXI internal portfolio and was used as a reference design in conversations with developer-tooling clients. The concept generated meaningful inbound traffic from developer-focused founders looking for an agency that understood their audience.

FAQCommon questions

Frequently asked.

Questions that come up most often when companies reach out about projects like this.

It's an AXI internal concept. We use concept work to demonstrate our chops in specific categories. Jacobs specifically targeted developer tools as a category we wanted to do more client work in.

Yes. Developer tools are a category where the audience punishes patronizing copy and illustrations. We design developer sites with technical language, real product demos, upfront pricing, and dark themes when appropriate.

Framer Motion plus a small amount of custom React. We design the demo around the single moment that best demonstrates value, then build it as a scoped, sandbox version of the product. Avoids the 'request a demo' friction that kills conversion.

AXI Launch is the right fit. Demo complexity drives scope. Post-launch, clients often move to AXI Studio for ongoing iteration.

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