Who We Are

Psychoactive® is an International award-winning digital agency. We build beautiful, interactive websites and web experiences for brands & organisations who want to push the boundaries of the web.

We're Digital Amphibians

Just as frogs breathe both water & air, we breathe design & innovation. We’re constantly hatching fresh and beautifully intuitive ways to stimulate the Metamorphosis of projects & brands.

Metamorphosis Definition

Dictionary

Definition from

Amphibious Language

metamorphosis

/ˌ mɛtə ˈ mɔ ː fəsɪs,ˌmɛtəmɔ ː ˈ fəʊsɪs/

noun

ZOOLOGY

noun:

metamorphosis;

plural noun:

metamorphoses

(in a brand or organisation) the process of transformation from an old or immature website to a beautiful, interactive web product or experience in three distinct stages: Branding & Strategy, Design, and Development.

“The organisation’s digital presence went through the process of metamorphosis”

a change of the form or nature of a digital asset or strategy into a completely different one.

"their project experienced metamorphosis from a low traffic website to an award winning work of art"

Benefits

faster load time

search engine visibility

interactive

animated

brand recognition

user trust & engagement

visual consistency

immersive

increased ROI

cohesive brand identity

refreshed content strategy

optimised user experience

responsive across devices

Origin

Late 2018: via Andrew Hillstead the word metamorphosis is redefined to align with Psychoactive Studios’ process of transformation.

Use over time for: metamorphosis

More definitions

Our Services

Digital

Branding &
Strategy

Branding & Strategy

In this embryonic stage of project development, discovery sessions inform brand, business, and content strategy. Brand identity, guidelines, collateral, and logo concepts sync with design, motion, and art direction as the look and feel is formulated. User journey maps, storyboards, concept art, and prototypes rapidly grow, fertilising the foundations of a strong user experience (UX).  

Digital

Design

With vital structures established, your project's design begins to hatch. Moulting from its strategic framework, your product or experience begins to emerge from its wireframed shells. Extending its beautiful, Psychoactive® considered user interface, we encourage collaborative review of the work. With sturdy communication and regular updates, you’ll be able to monitor the creation of navigational and informational components, call to actions, illustrations, and other useful 2D and 3D assets.

Digital

Development

Approved design specimens are then developed into mobile responsive websites and web apps. From interactive corporate websites, product promotions, marketing machines, ecommerce extravaganzas, landing pages, and storytelling experiences, to React and WebGL integrations, our award winning Webflow design agency specialises in developing immersive web products and experiences.

New Zealand’s Top

Webflow Agency

View Our Webflow Services

Learn more

We’ve been nominated for Agency of the year in 2022 by Awwwards

Learn more

We’ve been nominated for Agency of the year in 2022 by Awwwards

Our Ethos

Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.

– M.C. Escher

New Zealand’s Top Webflow Agency

View Our Webflow Services

Enterprise Partner

Innovation

We thrive on innovation, perpetually exploring the unknown to bring novel ideas to life. Our habitat is filled with all kinds of creative creatures, where we foster exploration and experimentation, ensuring our clients' projects are at the forefront of digital evolution.

Mastery

Mastery is our pursuit of perfection. We delve deep into the anatomy of design and development, dissecting every element to achieve excellence. Our team’s expertise allows us to create environments where digital assets thrive and mature gracefully.

Communication

Clear and effective communication is the cornerstone of our ecosystem. We believe in humanising technology, making complex processes understandable, and nurturing strong relationships with our clients to ensure their visions are realised.

Passion

Passion drives us. Our fervour for design and innovation is the lifeblood of Psychoactive. We are dedicated to our craft, and this passion is reflected in the transformative experiences we create.

Life By Design

Andrew Hillstead - Founder, Creative Director

Andrew Hillstead

Founder, Creative Director

Established in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2018, Psychoactive Studios emerged from the pioneering groundwork laid by founder Andrew Hillstead's master's thesis, which delved into the potential of simulating psychedelic therapy using neurofeedback devices and AR/VR.

Today, Psychoactive is one of the world's leading Premium Webflow Enterprise Partners. We excel in designing and developing interactive and animated websites using modern technologies such as WebGL, Rive, GSAP, and Lottie.

Our team is fully remote, comprising strategists, producers, UI/UX and motion designers, developers, and various other digital amphibians based around the globe.

Established in 2018, Psychoactive emerged from the innovative groundwork laid by Andrew Hillstead’s Master’s thesis, which delved into the potential of simulating psychedelic therapy.

This pioneering research explored the integration of neurofeedback devices, mixed reality (AR/VR) hardware, and psychedelic-like digital audio-visual experiences, aiming to induce a mind-state that facilitates trauma release.

The insights and inspirations drawn from this academic exploration propelled Andrew to create Psychoactive Studios. Here, he leverages modern web technology to transcend traditional web boundaries, crafting immersive experiences that captivate and engage audiences.

2018

Founded, based in
Wellington New Zealand

25+

Awards backing our
excellence

Nominated as the International Agency of the Year

Are You Ready?

Is your project or business ready to undergo the process of metamorphosis?
Reach out to us.

Let's go