Front&Back is a digital design studio with 25 years experience in webdesign, branding and creative design for print or screen.
Front&Back is an Auckland-based graphic design and web development company, founded by Steve Leggat.
Steve Leggat, standing by. Get in touch!
As the name Front&Back implies, not only do I work on the frontend; the customer-facing side of your business, but also the backend; the side customers don’t see. Think of the frontend as your branding, website design, signage and print, and the backend as the systems like your e-commerce software, content management, databases and the coding that ties it all together.
View some recent design projects.
An Abbreviated Timeline
1990 I studied Graphic Design, Textile Printing, and Computer Programming at Auckland University of Technology.
1994 Before becoming a web developer (in fact, before that was even a thing), I led the computer departments of two animation studios making cartoons for Disney, Warner Bros, and local television.
1996 Discovered the internet and made a webpage offering my design services. It wasn’t pretty but it was enough for me to land the Lead Designer role in one of New Zealand’s top webdesign companies, working with clients like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tourism New Zealand, and former Prime Ministers of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark.
2000 Co-founded Styrofirm a digital design agency, working on highly creative campaigns and projects for Maybelline NY, Pizza Hut, Johnson & Johnson, NZI, Vodafone, and McCann Worldgroup.
2001 After seeing the potential in email marketing, our team designed and developed BornKicking (think MailChimp or CampaignMonitor), and along with it, a digital agency to create and manage cutting-edge email marketing campaigns.
2005 On a whim, I moved to Taiwan, studied Mandarin Chinese at the National Taiwan Normal University, and began freelancing again as Steve Leggat Design.
2008 Created GigGuide.tw, a multi-language platform on Taiwan’s music scene with interviews, reviews, event listings, and live photos. I organised concerts, bringing New Zealand bands So So Modern, Die! Die! Die! and Wax Chattels through Taiwan, and putting on shows for local bands. At its peak, GigGuide.tw had a team of 30+ contributors. Check out the GigGuide.tw Photo Archive.
2015 Co-founded a social network for startups and collaborators looking for side-projects. The first prototype was called BLNKK, that later became Doers. I oversaw the design, UI/UX, onboarding, community management, and promotion (#1 on ProductHunt, oh yeah!).
2017 My daughter Tui is born (she’s now 7 years + 161 days old).
2019 After 14 years living in Taipei, Taiwan, I made the big decision to move the family back to Auckland, New Zealand.
2021 Steve Leggat Design becomes Front&Back.
2023 Front&Back HQ is now at 445 New North Road in Kingsland.
Steve Leggat, livin’ the dream at Rolling In Life co-working space, Taipei 2016.
Interviews and Press:
- Featured In Taipei Times newspaper
- Featured In 小日子 One Little Day magazine
- Featured In Asia New Zealand Foundation
- Featured In PCWorld Magazine - Hot Designer
Featured In:
- Featured In Web Design Index 7 (portfolio feature)
- Featured In The Web Designer’s Idea Book (portfolio feature)
- Featured In Web Designer magazine UK (CSS mastery feature)
Clients:
- Auckland Martial Arts Supplies - BigCommerce Custom Theme and Social Media Asset Design
- Aaron Hogg / Ministry of Aesthetics - Custom Sveltekit website for designer/illustrator Aaron Hogg
- Bleeders - Album Cover Design and Social Media Assets
- CampingTaiwan - Logo Design and Custom Website Design
- Creative Consultants - Website Design
- DRM Digital Rights Management - Graphic Design
- ElevenFiftySeven Records
- GoInsideMedia - Website Design
- HomeDish - Logo Design and Branding for App
- J.W. Henley - Custom Website Design and Build
- KeriDiesel Services - IT Services
- Loading Docs - Full Design and Web Architecture Overhaul
- Lorraine Barry Management - Logo ReDesign
- MacLymph Lymphatic - Branding and WordPress Website
- Magrette Timepieces - Branding, Print Design and Shopify E-Commerce Website
- MightyMighty Craft Beer - Branding and Beer Bottle Label Design
- NZ Skills and Education Group - Brochure and Prospectus Print Design
- Notable Pictures - Print Design
- PPTA Te Wehengarua - Wordpress Website Design
- Skills Consulting Group - Branding and Print Design
- Sola Rosa - Custom WordPress Design and Development
- The 13th Floor - IT Services
- TheBrickShop.nz - Website Design
- Voice of Iranians - Logo Design
- WavesTaiwan - Website Design
- Waxstar Touring - Custom WordPress Build
Past Work:
- Asics
- Auckland Drum Fest
- British Chamber of Commerce Taipei - Custom WordPress Theme and Membership Database Integration
- Bulletproof FTP
- Doers
- GigGuide.tw
- Ignition Development
- Interest.co.nz
- Johnson & Johnson
- KGB Kiwi Gourmet Burgers in Taipei - Branding and Design
- Maybelline NY
- McCann Worldgroup
- Mercedes-Benz
- Mt Ruapehu
- National Taiwan University
- NZ Stand Up Paddling
- NZI Insurance
- Pizza Hut
- Porsche
- Prime Minister of New Zealand
- The Face Place
- Tourism New Zealand
- Vodafone
- Waiata Anthems
- XEN Skateboards