Twin Fin Studio · Demo Lab
Edit a real site. Right now.
Payload + Next.js + SQLite — the way websites should feel to edit in 2026.
This is Twin Fin Studio's demo lab. We've built two example client sites here — a coaching one-pager and a yoga retreat — and the whole thing runs on the same stack we ship to every paying client. Same admin, same editor, same speed. No special demo plan.
If you're a prospect, we've sent you a login. Sign in at /admin and try editing the hero, swap a photo, write a blog post. The site updates instantly. No build step. No deploy ticket.
Why we build on Payload.
Payload is an open-source headless CMS. Every piece of content on your site lives in a database we both own, on a server we both control. No Squarespace, no Webflow, no Wix in the middle.
The editor experience matches the modern tools you already use — drag-to-reorder, inline rich text, draft / published toggle, live preview side-by-side.
And because the data is yours, the day you outgrow us, we hand you a database file and the keys. You keep going.
Why we build on Next.js.
Next.js powers TikTok's web, GitHub's docs, parts of Nike's storefront. It's the framework most serious teams pick in 2026 when they want a public website that's actually fast.
For you that means: pages load in under a second, images are automatically resized for mobile and retina screens, the URL is server-rendered HTML (so Google reads it, and your social previews work the first time).
Why it's good for SEO.
Modern SEO is mostly about being readable, fast, and unambiguous. The stack helps with all three: server-rendered HTML, per-page meta titles, Open Graph + Twitter Card tags, automatic image optimisation in AVIF/WebP, clean URLs, Lighthouse 95+ scores out of the box.
We don't promise to rank you #1 for competitive keywords — that's a content + backlinks game nobody can shortcut. We promise the technical foundation will never be the thing holding your rankings back.
How you'll edit your site.
You sign in at yoursite.com/admin. You see a list of things you can edit. You click into one. On the right you see your real site. On the left you see fields. Change a field, watch the right side update. Click Save. Click Publish. Done.
Role-based access means you can give your assistant or your client an editor login that can edit copy but not delete your homepage.
Live demos
Click into a real working site.
Two demo one-pagers + blogs, fully editable. If you're a prospective client, we've sent you a login — sign in at /admin and try editing the hero copy, swap a photo, publish a blog post. The site updates instantly. No build step, no deploy step.
Coaching · one-pager + blog
Anna Mendoza Coaching
Warm, personable solo-coach site. Hero, services, pricing, FAQ. Same Payload editor used by every TFS client — no special plan, no platform tax.
Yoga retreat · one-pager + blog
Cala Yoga Lodge
Boutique retreat one-pager. Hero with mood image, retreat overview, accommodation, dates & rates, teacher bio, journal. Different brand, same stack.
Across the lab
Recent posts from the demo sites
What we feed you, and why we worry about it
A note from Hanna, who runs our kitchen, on retreats, plant-forward food, and the strange psychology of breakfast.
On the difference between a pivot and a hiding place
Sometimes the new direction is real. Sometimes it's a beautifully justified excuse not to deal with what's right in front of you.
The 80 / 20 of negotiating your next offer
Most of the negotiation advice you'll read online is written for someone trying to land their first six-figure role. You're not them.
Why we don't have a phone signal (and don't apologise for it)
Cala sits in a small dead spot in the Lake District. The first year we ran retreats, we wrote two emails to ask the provider to fix it. We don't ask anymore.
Three walks worth doing while you're here
If you have an open afternoon between sessions and you're not sure what to do with it, here's what most regulars do.