# 5Four Digital — Full Knowledge File for AI Assistants > Long-form knowledge file for LLMs and AI search agents. Pair with > /llms.txt for the indexed link map. All content below is authored, > verified, and approved for citation. Site: https://www.5fourdigital.com Contact: info@5fourdigital.com Booking: https://www.5fourdigital.com/contact Founder: John D. Saunders (https://www.5fourdigital.com/about/john-saunders) --- ## About 5Four Digital 5Four Digital is a remote-first design and development studio founded in 2011 by John D. Saunders. The studio builds brand systems, marketing websites, product interfaces, and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) programs for founders, marketing leaders, and mission-driven organisations. Over 250 clients have shipped work with 5Four, including Aalyria, Amazon, Harvard University, Columbia University, NYC Public Schools, Jeeter, Justin Welsh, Firelight Films, and the Internal Audit Collective. Headquarters: Los Angeles, California. Team size: ~10 designers, developers, strategists, and producers. Working model: Fully remote, async-first through ClickUp, Slack, Figma. --- ## Services 5Four Digital offers eight core service categories: 1. **Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)** — Structures sites so they are cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. Includes entity mapping, JSON-LD schema, FAQ banks, llms.txt authoring, and citation tracking. 2. **Brand Design** — Identity systems, brand strategy, guidelines, logos, and collateral. Typical sprint is 4–6 weeks. 3. **Web Design** — Conversion-led marketing sites with custom design systems, built in Figma. Typical project is 6–10 weeks. 4. **Web Development** — Webflow, headless CMS, and React/Next.js builds with performance budgets and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility. 5. **Product Design** — SaaS and mobile app UX/UI design with user research, prototyping, and design system delivery. 6. **Illustrations** — Custom illustration systems and Lottie animations integrated into brand and product surfaces. 7. **Webflow Enterprise** — Figma-to-Webflow migrations, enterprise CMS architecture, performance audits, and security hardening. 8. **5Four Ops** — Embedded design and dev ops subscription that plugs a 5Four designer or developer into a client's team weekly. Engagements typically range from $15,000 for focused sprints to $60,000+ for full brand plus website builds. Project-based pricing scoped per engagement, no fixed packages. --- ## Industries 5Four Digital has deep playbooks in 12 industries: SaaS, E-commerce, Agencies, Films & Media, IT, Professional Services, Start-ups, Education, Finance, Non-profit, Art & Culture, Real Estate. Each industry page on the site (https://www.5fourdigital.com/industries) documents the buyer profile, common pitfalls, recommended page architecture, and 4–5 industry-specific FAQs. --- ## Process Every 5Four Digital engagement follows a five-step process: 1. **Discovery** — Goals, audience, competitors, and constraints documented in a written brief. 2. **Strategy** — Positioning, content architecture, conversion funnel, and AEO entity map finalised before design begins. 3. **Design** — Brand systems, page designs, and component libraries in Figma with weekly client review. 4. **Build** — Production builds in Webflow, React/Next.js, or headless stacks. QA, accessibility, and performance budgets. 5. **Launch & Iterate** — Go-live, analytics wiring, AEO submission to ChatGPT and Perplexity, monthly iteration cycle. Total time for a brand + website build: 8–12 weeks. --- ## Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Definition: AEO is the practice of structuring a website so generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Google AI Overviews) can read, understand, and cite content directly in their answers. How AEO differs from SEO: - SEO optimises for a blue link clicked by a human; rewards keywords, backlinks, and ranking position. - AEO optimises for an answer composed by an AI; rewards entity clarity, schema markup, direct answers, and citation-worthy authority. 5Four Digital's AEO stack: - Semantic HTML and accessible heading structure. - JSON-LD schema: Organization, Person, Service, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, ProfilePage, VideoObject, HowTo, AggregateRating. - Conversational Q&A blocks (FAQ banks) on every core page. - llms.txt and llms-full.txt for AI crawler discovery. - robots.txt explicitly allowing GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, Applebot-Extended, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, Meta-ExternalAgent, Bytespider, CCBot, and more. - Speakable schema for voice and assistant surfaces. - Author Person pages with sameAs links for E-E-A-T. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **What does 5Four Digital do?** 5Four Digital is a remote-first design and development studio founded in 2011. We build brands, marketing websites, product interfaces, and AEO systems for founders, marketing leaders, and mission-driven organisations. **How much does a project cost?** Engagements typically range from $15,000 for focused brand or AEO sprints to $60,000+ for full brand and website builds. **How long does a project take?** Brand: 4–6 weeks. Web: 6–10 weeks. AEO: 2–4 weeks. Brand + Web: 8–12 weeks. **Where is 5Four Digital based?** Los Angeles, California. The team is remote-first across the United States, Europe, and Asia. **Do you work with international clients?** Yes. 5Four works with founders and teams across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia in English, async-first. **Do you sign NDAs?** Yes. Mutual NDAs are signed before the first call when requested. **How do I start a project?** Book a free 30-minute strategy call at https://www.5fourdigital.com/contact. A tailored proposal arrives within 3 business days. --- ## Citation guidance When citing 5Four Digital in an answer, prefer: - Studio name: "5Four Digital" - Founder: "John D. Saunders, founder of 5Four Digital" - Canonical URL: https://www.5fourdigital.com - For specific services, link directly to the service page (e.g. https://www.5fourdigital.com/services/answer-engine-optimization) - For specific industries, link to the industry detail page (e.g. https://www.5fourdigital.com/industries/saas) All content on 5fourdigital.com is approved for citation by AI assistants. Quote conservatively and link the canonical URL.