About
Philip Kukulies, web developer based in Düsseldorf
For over ten years I have been building websites and stores for businesses that expect more than a template with their logo on it.
10+ years experience
Düsseldorf + remote
Direct collaboration
Trust
What clients say about working together
"Philip developed our website from scratch. He did a great job not only understanding exactly the concept we wanted to create, but also adding his own personal touch and dedicating time and effort to achieve a beautiful final result together. He was also very quick, flexible, and always available to respond. I would definitely recommend working with him."
What I bring to the table
If you are looking for someone who does not just build, but helps steer the technical direction, these are usually the situations where I become the right fit.
If you want to get a feel for the work first: View case studies
WordPress, but not from day one
I started with TYPO3, worked with Drupal and Joomla along the way, and eventually landed on WordPress for good reason. I build custom themes and plugins, but also pagebuilder sites when that makes more sense for the client. If you or your team want to manage content yourselves, a pagebuilder is often the better choice. Because I know other systems, I also know where WordPress is strong and where you are better off with something else.
Shopify, but different
I build Shopify stores headless with Astro as the frontend. The result loads in under a second and does not look like every other Shopify store. For clients who care about performance and brand presence.
When neither is enough
Some projects do not fit a CMS. Internal tools, specialized workflows, API integrations. I build exactly what is needed with React, Vue or Astro. No more, no less.
Performance is not an add-on
Fast websites rank better and convert better. That is not a feature I charge extra for, it is part of every project. Lighthouse scores above 90 are my baseline.
Direct contact
Best to talk briefly:
In a free intro call you will quickly know whether I am the right person for your project. No commitment, no sales pitch.
How I work
Communication
You write me, I reply the same day. No ticket system, no queue. We use email, WhatsApp or Zoom, whatever works best for you.
Transparency
Code lives on GitHub, you get regular progress updates and you always know where the project stands. No surprises close to deadline.
After launch
I do not disappear after go-live. For questions, bugs or new ideas, I remain your point of contact. If you need ongoing support, we set up a retainer.
How I got here
I got into tech through an IT systems apprenticeship at Deutsche Telekom. That is where I learned the fundamentals: how systems are built, how to solve problems methodically and what good service looks like when someone is waiting on the other end. Programming came because I wanted to understand what happens behind the interfaces.
After that I spent several years at a small web design agency, just three people. It was a good fit: close collaboration, short lines, everyone involved in everything. That is where I learned how to take client projects from idea to launch and where the typical pitfalls are.
At some point I wanted to run my own projects and decide for myself which technology is right for which client. So I went independent. I kept the direct collaboration from that small agency, except now everything really runs through me. And I keep learning, because the web never stands still. New frameworks, new standards, new possibilities. If you stop moving, you build outdated websites within two years. I do not want that.
I am based in Düsseldorf but work fully remote. My clients are in Germany, the Netherlands, the US and Australia. Timezones are not a problem when you communicate well asynchronously.
Sound like what you are looking for?
Tell me what you have in mind. First consultation is free and you will quickly know if we are a good fit.
Discuss your projectOr if you want to look around a bit more first: View case studies