Speed
A news site that takes 4 seconds to load loses readers. We optimize for Core Web Vitals, CDN configuration, image compression, lazy loading. Not as an afterthought, as a day-one requirement.
Why teams choose 5e
Since
2015
11+ years
Projects
100+
Shipped
Retainers
30+
Active clients
Zone
CST
US-aligned
A news site that takes 4 seconds to load loses readers. We optimize for Core Web Vitals, CDN configuration, image compression, lazy loading. Not as an afterthought, as a day-one requirement.
Editors aren't developers. The CMS has to let them publish stories, embed multimedia, schedule content, manage categories, all without touching code. We build custom WordPress and Drupal setups tailored to how each newsroom works.
Some of the most-read stories on our clients' sites are data-driven pieces with interactive charts and maps. We build custom viz tools: infographics, interactive maps, dynamic graphics that make complex information accessible.
When a story goes viral, the server can't go down. We architect for spikes with caching layers, CDNs, and infrastructure that scales.
Most dev shops build a news site once, put a WordPress theme on it, and move on. We've built five. Each handles real editorial workflows, real breaking-news traffic spikes, real editors who need to publish at 6am without calling a developer.
La Republica. Semanario Universidad. Ojo al Clima. El Observador. Voz de Guanacaste. Otras Miradas. These aren't portfolio pieces. They're ongoing relationships. Some have been with us for years, with monthly retainers for updates, performance tuning, new features.
WordPress (custom themes and plugins), Drupal, headless CMS setups, data visualization with D3.js and Chart.js. Hosted on AWS with CloudFront CDN.
Yes. We help media and news teams launch new products, modernize older systems, and ship features faster with a Costa Rica-based engineering team.
We work on news platforms, editorial workflows, content hubs, subscription experiences, archives, audience products, and analytics-heavy publishing systems.
Yes. Many clients bring us into an existing product, legacy codebase, or internal team that needs more delivery capacity without starting over.
Modern CMS setups, React frontends, performance-focused web applications, subscription tooling, analytics, and integrations for editorial and publishing operations.
Media products need reliable publishing workflows, analytics accuracy, subscription integrity, and performance under traffic spikes. We treat those as product requirements, not polish.
Costa Rica gives news and media teams overlapping hours for launch days, homepage changes, stakeholder reviews, and fast iteration during live cycles.
Focused editorial or audience features can ship quickly. Larger platform work takes longer when subscriptions, archives, custom workflows, or performance goals are involved.
Yes. Some clients hire us for full project delivery, while others add one or more developers, designers, or QA people to an existing internal team.
You get North America-friendly time zones, direct communication, and senior product-minded execution without the latency that usually comes with distant offshore delivery.
We begin with your product goals, technical constraints, compliance concerns, and delivery timeline. Then we recommend the right team shape and implementation plan.

Pro-bono magazine website for Guía Orgullo, created to publish LGBTQ+ culture, photography, illustration, and editorial work online.

Media website for Katie Couric Media, built with Decimal Studios to support editorial publishing, audience growth, and site performance.

Long-form journalism platform for Long Lead, built with Decimal Studios to support original reported stories, editorial publishing, and performance optimization.