Overview
Approach
Built it in Framer rather than as a custom development project, so their team could edit it without us
Set up the CMS around what they publish most, research and portfolio companies
Added Thenty.io for payments and accounts, the parts Framer doesn't handle
Uplifted the brand alongside the build rather than as a separate project
Stayed available after launch, then stepped back as they took it over
The Call
A members platform with payments, gated content and accounts is usually a custom build. That's the default answer, and the one with the bigger fee attached.
Framer handled the site. Thenty.io handled payments and accounts, the parts Framer doesn't cover.
GCR publishes research constantly with a small team. On a custom platform every content change goes through a developer they don't have. A platform that stops getting updated is worse than one that looks less bespoke.
What that bought is a site their team ran themselves for over a year. The custom-build fee and some technical headroom were the trade.
