About Lavender Giraffe
Lavender Giraffe was built on one idea: a well-planned website, grounded in SEO and honest messaging, should be one of the most reliable business development tools a company has. Too many organizations with genuinely good businesses are let down by a website that doesn't reflect them, doesn't rank, and doesn't convert. That is the gap we built Lavender Giraffe to close.
The approach
Strategy before design. Always.
Most web projects start with a visual brief. We start with questions. Who is the site for? What do they need to see, feel, and understand before they contact you? What could be better, and what would it take to fix it?
Design and development follow from the answers. So does the SEO: planned into the site's structure from the start, not added as a final step. The broader approach is what we call Search Everywhere Optimization: building websites that get found not just on Google, but on AI tools, maps, social search, and the directories your clients actually use.
This isn't a methodology we describe in a pitch deck and then set aside. It's how every project actually runs, from the first discovery call through final handover.
A few things we won't do: take on projects we can't do well, overpromise on timelines, or disappear after handover. If we're not the right fit for your project, we'll tell you.
Irene's story
A different kind of background.
I'm Irene Koukia, the founder of Lavender Giraffe. My route into web design and SEO isn't the typical one, and I think that difference makes the work better.
Eighteen years as a professional translator, proofreader, and copywriter, working across Greek, German, and English in technical, medical, business, and marketing content. Before that, two decades in the travel and hospitality industry, from entry-level roles to executive positions. Deep language expertise, a genuine understanding of how businesses operate, and years in a sector defined by customer experience quality. All of that shapes how I approach every web project.
In practice: I think carefully about language before I think about design. I write for the reader, not the brief. I ask business questions before design questions. A website that looks beautiful but doesn't rank, doesn't convert, or doesn't accurately reflect the organization it represents is not a good website. These aren't just preferences. I've seen what happens when they're wrong.
When AI reshaped the translation industry, I transitioned into web design and development: a field I'd been working in informally for fifteen years already. Not a career pivot. The natural next step in a body of work that has always been about helping organizations communicate clearly and be found by the right people.
I hold a BSc in Business Administration with a marketing focus, a certificate in personal and business coaching, and a certificate in translation. Based in Athens, working with clients across the EU and UK in English, Greek, and German.
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Why boutique
Why we work with a limited number of clients at a time.
We take on a small number of projects at any given time. Deliberate choice, not a capacity constraint.
Your project gets our full attention. Not a junior designer working from a brief they didn't write. Not an account manager relaying feedback to a development team in a different time zone. You work directly with the person doing the work, from the first strategy call to the final handover. Ask a question and get an answer from someone who actually knows your site.
That also means we're selective. We work with organizations that take their digital presence seriously, that value quality over speed, and that want a long-term partner rather than a vendor who delivers and disappears. If that sounds like you, we'd like to hear about your project.
The name? Lavender is Irene's favorite color. Giraffe was a childhood nickname. It also happens to be one of nature's most eccentric animals: long-necked, long-lashed, and wearing the most distinctive outfit in the savanna. Some things stick. Some things fit.
Irene is the professional you want by your side in web design and marketing. Knowledgeable, organized, and dedicated to her clients. Consistent, thorough, and with a great eye for aesthetics. I recommend her without hesitation.
Lavender Giraffe provides excellent service and the reassuring feeling of being in the best hands. Professional, warm, and extremely reliable.
Explore further
More about how we work and what we have built.
From our process to our portfolio, case studies, and the tools we rely on. Everything you need to evaluate whether we are the right fit.
Our Process
A clear process from first call to launch. No surprises, no handoffs to someone you have never spoken to.
Portfolio
A selection of recent projects. Every one started with a strategy conversation, not a design brief.
Case Studies
Real projects, real results. What we built, why, and what changed as a result.
Tools and Resources
Tools, platforms, and resources we work with and recommend. Some links are affiliate links.