Digital Amphibians

BORN AMPHIBIOUS

Psychoactive is a global design agency building digital experiences for ambitious brands. We’re remote-first, award-winning, and obsessively focused on the moment your audience encounters your brand online.

Just as frogs breathe both water and air, we breathe design and innovation, constantly finding fresh, intuitive ways to drive brand Metamorphosis.

As Featured In

Metamorphosis Tessellation. Alexandre Bannwarth (2020). Commissioned by Psychoactive.

Metamorphosis

/ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs,ˌmɛtəmɔːˈfəʊsɪs/

Noun DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
noun: metamorphosis; plural noun: metamorphoses

(in a brand or organisation) the process of transformation from an outdated or underperforming digital presence into a distinctive, intelligent, and high-performing web experience

“After working with Psychoactive, the brand underwent digital metamorphosis.”

Outcomes:

  • transformation
  • clarity
  • emotion
  • identity
  • scalability
  • performance
  • growth

Origin:

  • GREEK
    metamorphoun
    (to transform, change shape)
  • LATIN
    metamorphosis
    (late Middle English)
  • NEW ZEALAND
    metamorphosis
    (Psychoactive definition)
Redefined by Psychoactive Studios to describe the digital evolution of brands through strategy, design, and technology.

THRIVE THROUGH COLLABORATION

A global network of designers, developers, creative thinkers, and strange creatures.

  • Andrew

    Creative Director & Producer

  • Luca

    General Manager & Producer

  • Serhii

    Design & Motion Director

  • Alex

    Designer & Webflow Developer

  • Carl

    Designer & Webflow Developer

  • Josh

    Creative Frontend Developer

  • Laura

    Designer & Webflow Developer

  • Sheridan

    vCFO

Our story

Psychoactive Studios is an award-winning digital design and development agency founded in 2018 by Andrew Hillstead, and based in Wellington, New Zealand. Operating as a remote-first studio with a global team and clients across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, we specialise in high-performance websites, immersive digital experiences, and AI-era web platforms built for ambitious brands.

Psychoactive was born from Andrew’s Master’s research exploring how technology could create meaningful emotional states, pairing neurofeedback with augmented and virtual reality to simulate psychedelic therapy. That deep connection between design and human psychology still shapes how we think about digital experience today.

Our services span brand strategy, content, UX, web and interface design, motion and interaction design, Webflow development, custom code, WebGL and 3D experiences, CMS architecture, SEO, and AI integration. We work across the full lifecycle of a digital product, from discovery and strategy through to build, launch, and ongoing partnership.

In 2019, we moved to Webflow and pioneered the platform’s potential for enterprise-level creativity and performance. By 2022, we became New Zealand’s first Premium Webflow Enterprise Partner, and today we are recognised globally as one of the leading Webflow agencies in the world.

We partner with some of the world’s most innovative brands and events, including World of WearableArt, Summer Game Fest, SuperAI, TOKEN2049, Blackbird VC, Adidas, and the All Blacks, delivering hundreds of websites across the tech, events, gaming, enterprise, and AI sectors, each crafted with its own purpose and distinctive character.

As the web enters the AI era, we design and build experiences that integrate intelligence, not just beauty. From AI-native brand platforms to personalised digital products, we help forward-thinking organisations stay ahead.

Nominated as Agency of the Year by Awwwards and recognised with 50+ international awards, we approach every project with the curiosity of artists, the rigour of researchers, and the precision of engineers. Our work is built to stand out, and to stand the test of time.

  • 2018
    Founded, based in
    Wellington New Zealand
  • 50+
    Recognition & Awards
    backing our excellence
  • Awwwards.
    Nominated as the
    International Agency of the Year

Our Ethos

  1. Put the customer first

    We begin by understanding your audience, their needs, habits and motivations to create experiences that feel natural, human and meaningful.

  2. Know where to innovate

    We innovate with purpose, combining design fundamentals with fresh thinking to create work that feels timeless, focused and original.

  3. Technical excellence

    We build with precision and care, ensuring every detail, micro-interaction and integration is optimised for performance, accessibility and reliability.

  4. Partnership mindset

    We see every collaboration as a shared journey. By aligning our expertise with your goals, we create momentum that drives lasting growth for both brand and business.