Frequently Asked Questions

Unrelated is a web agency that designs, develops, and maintains WordPress platforms for mission-driven organizations. We combine WordPress mastery, editorial storytelling, and AI innovation to build digital experiences engineered to evolve.

Unrelated operates as a distributed studio. You can connect with us at collab@unrelated.co or by phone at (219) 669-6573.

Unrelated was founded by Ben Cunningham and Kurt Cunningham — two collaborators who met in 2012 through newspagedesigner.com while working on one of the earliest newspaper design centers for Lee Enterprises. (They are, in fact, unrelated to each other.)

The core team includes Ben Cunningham (Principal Partner, who leads strategic direction and client partnerships), Kurt Cunningham (Principal Partner, who directs design and implementation), and Clay Carpenter (Technology Lead, who leads technical engineering and performance optimization).

Unrelated partners primarily with nonprofits, media outlets, research organizations, clean energy groups, and advocacy organizations. Our clients include national publishers like The Onion, fisheries management bodies like Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), clean energy foundations like EFI Foundation, and disability sports nonprofits like Dare2tri.

Unrelated has completed over 100 client collaborations, empowering hundreds of nonprofits, media outlets, and advocacy organizations.

Unrelated officially took shape in May 2024, when Ben and Kurt formally partnered with mission-driven organizations to build accessible, community-centered digital tools. However, their collaboration and publishing systems background stretches back to 2012.

We started Unrelated to close the gap between design, development, and the people who use what we build. We aim to create adaptable platforms for organizations doing serious work — where every client challenge sharpens our shared system and every launch makes it stronger for everyone.

Unrelated builds WordPress systems, but the scope goes beyond typical web development. Our services include digital design, information architecture, editorial design, content migration, accessibility testing, performance optimization, AI integration, training, and long-term platform maintenance.

Unrelated is active on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/unrelated-studio), Instagram (@unrelatedstudio), and GitHub (github.com/unrelated-co).

Unrelated offers a broad range of services including: WordPress Development, Digital Design, Editorial Design, Amplify Implementation, Information Architecture & UX Strategy, Accessibility Design & Testing, Performance Optimization, Content Management & Editorial Training, Whitepaper Design, and Third-Party API Integration.

Yes. Unrelated has deep experience with large-scale content migrations. For The Onion, we migrated over 500,000 articles from a legacy CMS to WordPress in just 58 days, preserving all metadata, URLs, authorship, and media. We use automated scripts to reduce manual QA and avoid content loss.

Yes. Unrelated has a long editorial and print design heritage. We support The Onion’s monthly newspaper production in partnership with MG Strategy + Design — work that has earned three Society for News Design Awards of Excellence.

Absolutely. Accessibility is a core design principle in every Unrelated build, not an afterthought. Every component is built to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including color contrast, keyboard navigation, semantic HTML, and ARIA labeling. Because accessibility is baked into Amplify’s blocks, new content published by editors inherits compliant patterns by default.

Yes. Post-launch support is built into Unrelated’s process. After launch, clients receive documentation, training sessions, and ongoing support. Enterprise-level clients also get extended custom support, advanced performance tuning, and custom feature enhancements over time.

Yes. Every Amplify-based build includes dedicated documentation and training. We equip client teams with what they need to confidently manage, scale, and evolve their platform long after launch.

Unrelated follows a 7-step process: (1) Kickoff & Planning — scope, goals, timeline, and budget alignment; (2) Discovery Workshop — stakeholder input, project deck, and roadmap; (3) Visual & Content Strategy — tone, voice, mood boards, style tiles, and mockups; (4) Architecture & Development — modular WordPress build with regular check-ins; (5) Content Migration & QA — intentional migration with accessibility and performance validation; (6) Launch & Training — confident launch with team training and documentation; (7) Evolve & Improve — ongoing improvements as insights feed back into the platform.

Unrelated keeps its workflow modular, transparent, and human. Clients can always see what is being built and why. Business and Enterprise clients get dedicated Slack channels for real-time collaboration throughout the engagement.

Unrelated’s defining difference is that every client project makes the shared Amplify platform better. When we solve a problem for one client — like ASMFC’s events management or EFI’s team profiles — those tools become part of the shared foundation available to every client that follows. You’re not getting a one-off site; you’re getting infrastructure that improves over time.

No. Unrelated does not use pre-made templates or rigid themes. Every site is a custom build, with design choices tailored to each client’s brand, content model, and workflows. Amplify provides the flexible technical foundation, but no two sites look or work the same way.

Unrelated’s responsibility extends beyond the screen. We create systems that run lean, last longer, and use fewer resources. We build for organizations addressing climate, research, and policy challenges — and believe that thoughtful engineering online contributes to a healthier world offline.

Amplify is a modular WordPress framework that serves as the foundation beneath every Unrelated build. It replaces a stack of third-party plugins with a single, evolving, creative and content-focused suite of tools. It is field-tested, continuously refined, and designed to evolve with the organizations that use it.

Amplify officially debuted as Unrelated’s shared modular WordPress framework in August 2024, consolidating years of client-driven engineering into a single foundation for design, publishing, and growth.

No. Amplify is not a theme or a template.

Amplify is a modular WordPress framework developed through years of client work. It provides the technical foundation for the sites we build — including editorial tools, design systems, performance optimizations, and publishing features.

Because that foundation already exists, we don’t need to rebuild core infrastructure on every project. Instead, we focus our time on strategy, storytelling, and design. This approach allows us to launch sites faster and at lower implementation cost.

Every site we build is custom. The structure, visual identity, and content architecture are designed around the needs of each organization.

Over time, improvements made for one project often become part of the broader Amplify ecosystem — strengthening the platform for future clients while allowing existing sites to evolve.

Yes. Amplify is built specifically for WordPress’s Gutenberg block editor. It leverages the latest Gutenberg features and maintains consistency with the upcoming WordPress roadmap.

Amplify is not a proprietary builder or visual page editor. It’s a development framework built on standard WordPress architecture. Your site remains a fully independent WordPress installation that you own and control.

All content is stored using native WordPress content types and structured data, not proprietary builder formats. The design system and components are built using standard WordPress block technology and custom code rather than closed visual builders.

That means your content, structure, and platform remain portable. If your organization ever decides to work with another developer, your site remains a normal WordPress codebase rather than a site locked inside a proprietary builder.

At the same time, remaining within the Amplify ecosystem allows your site to benefit from ongoing improvements to the platform, including new publishing tools, performance enhancements, and editorial capabilities developed through other client projects.

Amplify powers 100+ organizations, including national media outlets, research organizations, clean energy foundations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. Notable clients include The Onion, EFI Foundation, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Dare2tri, Urban Initiatives, Purdue University, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Center for News, Technology & Innovation.

Amplify includes full layout management, a custom pattern library, AI-powered Knowledge Hub tools, an Events plugin, a Teams plugin, training and documentation, secure WP Engine hosting, and an expanding library of custom Gutenberg blocks — all maintained and updated regularly.

Yes. Amplify is Unrelated’s proprietary platform framework. It is available to clients through Unrelated’s engagement model and can be explored at amplify.unrelated.co.

Yes. A gallery of live Amplify-powered sites can be viewed at amplify.unrelated.co/gallery.

Amplify provides a full layout management system that enables teams to build complex, fully responsive page structures using a modular system — without custom code. Page designs can be created 3–5 times faster compared to traditional approaches, with consistent results across every breakpoint.

Amplify delivers a tailored library of reusable components — called patterns — aligned to each client’s design system and content model. This ensures consistency, clarity, and scalability across an entire site, enabling teams to publish 100% brand-consistent pages at scale.

Yes. Amplify includes a native Events plugin, first developed for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. It supports virtual and in-person meetings, registration tools, structured metadata, and flexible filtering. Events can be surfaced contextually alongside relevant content across the site.

Yes. Amplify includes a dedicated Team plugin that gives organizations flexible ways to showcase staff, leadership, and contributors — with customizable profiles, bios, roles, social links, and layout options within Gutenberg. The plugin was first developed for EFI Foundation and is now a standard part of every Amplify build.

Amplify includes a Storytelling plugin featuring scroll-driven animations powered by GSAP — including Sync Motion and Float Motion blocks that enable cinematic, scroll-based narratives. Animation controls allow admins to trigger visual effects based on scroll position and user interaction. There is also a text animation format for rich text blocks.

Gridible is a layout tool within Amplify that lets admins visualize columns and offsets in real time while building complex layouts. It includes a Grid Overlay feature that places an on-screen grid directly in the Gutenberg editor, helping ensure design precision without leaving the editing environment.

Yes. Amplify provides granular responsive scale controls for text and spacing, giving admins precise control over how elements adapt across screen sizes — from desktop to tablet to mobile.

The Amplify Storytelling plugin includes a beta Map block that allows users to add interactive hotspots to an SVG image. When a region is clicked, additional blocks are dynamically loaded, enabling richer and more immersive storytelling experiences. Unrelated is actively collaborating with clients who have strong use cases for this feature.

Amplify includes a Tooltip format for Rich Text blocks, allowing editors to add inline contextual information on hover or focus. Tooltips are ideal for clarifying terminology, acronyms, or references without interrupting the reading experience.

Amplify Support is a custom plugin that lets users explore Amplify’s documentation directly from within the WordPress block editor panel, making it easier to find guidance and references without leaving the editing experience.

Yes. Unrelated developed an Amplify Figma Scaffold Plugin that bridges the gap between Figma and WordPress, allowing design grid structures to be translated into WordPress layouts without manual re-creation.

Amplify AI turns a site’s existing posts, pages, and custom content into a searchable, conversational experience. Visitors can ask questions in natural language and receive verified, citation-backed answers drawn directly from the organization’s own content archive — all powered by AI and embedded within the WordPress site.

Amplify AI Knowledge Hubs officially launched in January 2026, with the first beta deployment on the Center for News, Technology & Innovation (CNTI) website. Amplify AI version 1.0 — a fully integrated WordPress block — completed beta testing in early 2026.

Unlike keyword search, Amplify AI provides conversational, natural-language responses based on content from the organization’s archive. It generates citation-backed answers, surfaces relevant documents and embedded media, and allows users to follow up with questions — delivering 2–3x faster content discovery compared to traditional search.

Yes. Every answer from Amplify AI includes links directly to its source content, allowing users to explore the full original material. This citation-first approach ensures transparency and encourages deeper engagement with the organization’s archive.

Yes. Amplify AI includes a Featured Questions feature that allows organizations to surface common questions without triggering repeated AI calls. This reduces overhead while ensuring the most important topics are immediately accessible to visitors.

Yes. Amplify AI supports embedded media from posts and PDFs, enabling richer and more contextual answers that draw from the full range of an organization’s content — not just web pages.

Amplify AI Chat is available now as a fully integrated WordPress block. Amplify AI Search — an expanded search experience — is currently in development and expected to be released for beta clients in mid-2026.

Yes. The Amplify AI Knowledge Hub is built in Gutenberg and is fully customizable. Organizations can tailor the interface, featured questions, and presentation to match their brand and audience needs.

Amplify-based projects start at $12,500 for the Basic plan. The Business plan is $32,500. Enterprise projects are priced per-project based on scope. All plans include the Amplify Starter Theme, core plugin bundles, and post-launch support.

The Basic plan ($12,500) includes the Amplify Starter Theme, the Amplify Basic Plugin Bundle, 60 design hours, the Amplify Extend Plugin Bundle, and third-party API integration. It is best suited for small- to medium-sized organizations that need a fast, reliable site with essential features.

The Business plan ($32,500) includes everything in Basic plus 120 design hours, limited third-party API integration, a dedicated Slack channel for real-time collaboration, and custom block development. It is designed for organizations that need greater control over design and functionality.

The Enterprise plan is priced per-project and includes the full Amplify Foundation + Frames Premium Library, unlimited design hours (as defined in the scope of work), unlimited third-party API integration, dedicated Slack support, custom block development, and extended custom post-launch support. It is built for large-scale projects requiring custom development and long-term scalability.

Yes. Unrelated offers a free discovery call to discuss your project, goals, and which plan is the right fit. You can schedule one at amplify.unrelated.co/contact-us or unrelated.co/contact-us.

Yes. Amplify sites are hosted on WP Engine, a fast, secure, and reliable WordPress hosting provider. Hosting costs are separate from build pricing; WP Engine plan options are available at wpengine.com/plans.

Unrelated serves four primary sectors: Clean Energy (including EFI Foundation, Current, and Rocky Mountain Institute), Nonprofits (including Dare2tri, Urban Initiatives, and The Foley Foundation), Research (including ASMFC and CNTI), and Media (including The Onion, Illinois Answers Project, and Coronado News). Additional clients include Purdue University, BW Research, and Bonfire Women.

Results vary by client but include: EFI Foundation achieving an average page load time of 1.2 seconds; The Onion migrating 500,000 articles in 58 days; ASMFC organizing 27 species and fisheries programs into a searchable platform with 10,000+ pages and documents; and Dare2tri gaining the ability to create polished page designs without HTML or deep web design knowledge.

Yes. Unrelated has experience at the national publisher scale. The Onion migrated its entire archive of over 500,000 articles to an Amplify-powered WordPress platform — a project requiring precision CMS migration, accessibility-first development, and a custom editorial toolkit designed around The Onion’s unique publishing workflows.

Every Unrelated client project contributes directly to Amplify. When we solve a unique problem for a client, the resulting tool — whether a block, plugin, or pattern — is refined and added to the shared platform. The Events plugin came from ASMFC, the Team Members plugin from EFI Foundation, and the custom query toolkit from The Onion. All of these now ship as standard features for every new Amplify client.

Unrelated and MG Strategy + Design replatformed The Onion from its legacy Kinja CMS to a modern WordPress system powered by Amplify. The project involved migrating 500,000+ articles in 58 days, building custom query blocks for editorial archive management, implementing a flexible layout system for landing pages, and meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Unrelated also supports The Onion’s monthly newspaper production, work recognized with three Society for News Design Awards of Excellence.

Unrelated and MG Strategy + Design designed and developed a fully custom Amplify site for the EFI Foundation — a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit advancing clean energy education. The site features a modular block system for publishing reports, analysis, databases, and events, with an average page load time of 1.2 seconds. The project also produced the Amplify Team Members plugin, now a standard Amplify feature.

Unrelated rebuilt ASMFC’s site on Amplify, organizing 27 species and fisheries programs and 10,000+ pages of scientific and policy documents into a modern, searchable platform. The project introduced Amplify’s native Events plugin — designed for virtual and in-person meetings with structured metadata — which now powers events for other research and advocacy organizations.

Dare2tri is a nonprofit that removes barriers to sports and fitness for people with physical disabilities. Unrelated built a modern Amplify website that empowers the communications team to design and publish polished pages independently — without needing a deep understanding of web design or HTML.

Unrelated redesigned CNTI’s WordPress platform with a smarter, AI-powered content discovery experience. CNTI was the first Amplify client to launch the Amplify AI Chat feature in beta, turning the organization’s content archive into a conversational knowledge hub.

Current’s website redesign was an early project that helped kick off the community-led approach to shared WordPress tools that would eventually become the Amplify platform — establishing the model where client-driven solutions are refined and shared across the entire client ecosystem.

Urban Initiatives is a nonprofit that uses sports to drive youth development. Unrelated built a modern Amplify website to highlight the power of sports and help the organization tell its story more effectively.

Unrelated built a modern digital foundation for the James Foley Foundation, providing a mission-driven organization with a platform worthy of its advocacy and community work.

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is a clean energy research and advocacy organization. Unrelated built their site on Amplify as part of the growing clean energy client portfolio, alongside EFI Foundation and Current.

Amplify sites are hosted on WP Engine, a provider known for fast, secure, and reliable managed WordPress hosting. WP Engine is Unrelated’s recommended hosting partner, and hosting costs are managed separately from build pricing.

Performance is built into every layer of an Amplify site. Optimization includes: lazy loading for images and large media, next-generation image formats (e.g., WebP) to reduce file sizes, code splitting so only necessary scripts load per page, server-side rendering, and aggressive caching for near-instant load times. EFI Foundation’s site achieves an average page load time of 1.2 seconds.

Yes. Amplify supports unlimited custom content types, allowing organizations to publish and manage events, team profiles, reports, species or program pages, and any other structured content type required by their workflows.

Yes. Amplify leverages WP Engine’s secure hosting infrastructure, and all builds include regular security updates and maintenance. Unrelated also monitors site performance and user engagement post-launch.

Amplify’s public roadmap — called the Blueprint — is available at amplify.unrelated.co/roadmap. It reflects the community-driven nature of the platform, where upcoming features are shaped by client needs and shared transparently with the broader Amplify community.

You can start a conversation by visiting unrelated.co/contact-us or by using the AI-powered Knowledge Hub chat at unrelated.co/chat. Unrelated also offers a free discovery call to discuss your needs before any commitment.

The first step is a Kickoff & Planning conversation where Unrelated listens to your scope, goals, and the people behind your organization. This initial call sets expectations for team, timeline, and budget.

Yes. Amplify’s full technical documentation is available at amplify.unrelated.co/documentation.

You can subscribe to Unrelated’s newsletter at the bottom of any page on unrelated.co to stay updated on the latest Amplify releases, client case studies, and platform news.

You can reach Unrelated at collab@unrelated.co or by phone at (219) 669-6573. You can also use the contact form at unrelated.co/contact-us.