A recognisable problem
Evening paperwork gives the product a clear reason to exist. It connects the offer to the working day rather than asking visitors to decode technical language.
No Mates Rates case study
No Mates Rates: brand, app and launch
I delivered the branding, messaging, app development, website and launch marketing for No Mates Rates, a quoting and invoicing app for UK tradespeople. The work brought the product and its marketing together around one practical benefit: getting the paperwork done on site, instead of taking it home.
The brief
Good on the tools. Still doing paperwork at night.
The story behind No Mates Rates starts with a familiar problem: skilled tradespeople finishing a full day on site, then spending their evenings creating quotes and chasing invoices. Founder Jamie Stephens describes seeing this repeatedly through more than 20 years around building, property development and renovations.
My work was to bring that idea to life across the brand, app, website and launch marketing. Each part needed to explain the same simple offer: professional quotes and invoices from the phone already in your pocket, built around the way tradespeople work.
The challenge
Make the benefit clear before the feature list
The challenge was to make the product useful and its value easy to understand. For someone moving between jobs, the app and its marketing needed to answer a few straightforward questions: what does it do, will it fit the way I work, and how do I get started?
A simple product journey
Quoting, sending, invoicing and payment need to feel like connected steps, with the distinction between free and paid features easy to find.
A clear next step
The website needs to guide interested visitors towards the app, with download links and an explanation of what happens when they start.
What I did
From brand and product to website and launch
I handled the full scope of the work: creating the brand and messaging, developing the app, building the website and delivering the launch marketing. That meant the way the product worked and the way it was presented could follow the same thinking.
The central message, “Quote on site. Not at night.”, gave the project a clear focus. I carried that through short, direct copy, practical product explanations and visuals that put the app in the context of a tradesperson’s working day.
Key areas of work
- Branding: a consistent visual identity for a product built around UK tradespeople
- Messaging: clear positioning, benefit-led copy and a recognisable tone of voice
- App development: the quoting and invoicing product at the centre of the offer
- Website design and build: page structure, product explanation, imagery and routes to download
- Launch marketing: bringing the product, offer and creative content together for launch
Website design and build
A website built around the way tradespeople work
I designed and built the No Mates Rates website, bringing the brand, copy, product screens and launch offer together in one place. The homepage leads with “Quote on site. Not at night.”, then shows how the app works and gives visitors clear routes to download it.
The black-and-yellow identity runs through the page, from the product demonstrations to the Free Forever and Pro comparison. Each section helps explain the offer and what happens next.
Explore the full website design
From the opening message through the workflow, demonstration, plans and final download prompt. Screenshot supplied September 2026.
Open the full-page screenshot at full size
The product
A practical workflow from quote to invoice
I developed the app around the tasks tradespeople need to complete: creating a professional quote, sharing it with a customer and turning an accepted quote into an invoice. The website explains that workflow in the same order, so visitors can understand the product before downloading it.
Create and send
Quotes can be created on a phone and shared through WhatsApp, text or email, keeping the process close to the way customers already communicate.
Quote to invoice
Customer records, professional PDFs and quote-to-invoice conversion form the core paperwork offer.
Explain the upgrade
The website separates the core quoting and invoicing features from Pro tools such as AI item-line dictation and payment features.
Project visuals
Show the product in the context of the job
I created a visual approach that pairs product screens with trade-focused artwork, illustrating the journey from creating a quote to sending an invoice and taking payment. The same style connects the website with the wider launch creative.
Launch videos & brand persona
Bringing the brand to life on screen
I created video content to show the problem No Mates Rates solves and give the brand a recognisable personality. The launch work combines a direct product story with Tony and Tools, a persona I created for the brand.
Painpoint: quote on site, not at night
A launch video connecting the frustration of paperwork with the app’s quoting workflow.
Tony and Tools: a persona for the brand
I created Tony and Tools as a brand persona, using character-led storytelling to bring the “Quote on site. Not at night.” message to life.
The thinking
Lead with the working day
Start with the benefit
Finishing a quote before driving away is a more immediate proposition than a long list of software capabilities.
Build understanding in steps
The workflow, visuals, plan information and founder story give visitors different ways to understand the offer.
The result
A connected brand, product and launch presence
A working product
The app gives the brand a practical offer: a way for tradespeople to create and manage quotes and invoices from their phones.
A clear website
The website explains the product, shows the workflow and connects visitors with download routes for iOS and Android.
A consistent launch
The branding, message, website and launch marketing present the same offer, giving the business a foundation for future campaigns.
Why this matters
A useful product needs a story people recognise
For me, No Mates Rates brought product development and marketing together in one project. The brand, app and website all needed to make sense to the same person: a tradesperson who wants to finish the paperwork and get on with the next job.
That thinking applies to service and product businesses alike. Start with a recognisable problem, build an offer that addresses it, and make the next step clear. The value of handling the work together is keeping that thinking consistent from the product itself to the launch.
Website and marketing support
Need a clearer story for your business?
I can help you explain your offer, organise your website and turn what you do into content that gives customers a reason to take the next step.