Crafted Future: Code that Scales

In 2025, the pressure to speed up operations and creative output is high, so builders are finding smart ways to maintain quality while accelerating their workflows. Agencies and brands are using AI to create scalable growth, balancing a need for speed with the drive for excellent craft. 

This shift toward AI adoption and innovation was the focus of Crafted Future: Code that Scales. The virtual event shares how teams are using intelligent systems to change the game, both in client work and business operations. 

Watch as creative and technical leaders explore how AI is helping balance efficiency and craftsmanship to create digital experiences that drive engagement.

What is Crafted Future?

Crafted with Code, now in its sixth year, is an annual showcase sponsored by WP Engine that celebrates outstanding Webby-recognized projects built on WordPress^Ⓡ.

The Crafted Future virtual event series dives deeper into those stories, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build Webby-worthy work. The series brings together technical experts and creative leaders to share practical lessons and clear examples of what’s working as technology evolves.

You can watch previous Crafted Future discussions on The Webby Awards YouTube channel.

Meet the panel

Moderated by Nick Borenstein, General Manager of The Webby Awards, the panel featured Cosme Olivas, Full Stack Developer and Designer at Matchbox Studio; Amori Langstaff, VP of Marketing Technology & Operations at WP Engine; and Katie Peninger, VP of Account Service and Business Growth at Lewis.

Panelists discussed how to build scalable websites that adapt alongside business growth and technological changes, covering everything from establishing a strong technical foundation to applying AI as an operational advantage.

Using AI to craft “Code that Scales”

The discussion began with a core question. What exactly does it mean to build “Code that Scales” in 2025? It’s not just about the specific code used for a single site. It also includes the organizational structure required to operationalize the use of advanced technologies.

Panelists agreed that sustainable growth requires an innate ability to adapt to constant change. In 2025, AI is vital to that ability, but it can sometimes create a tension between speed and quality. 

New AI tools appear quickly, so teams are doing their best to adapt just as fast. At the same time, they have to maintain the high creative standards that clients have come to expect and that awards, like the Webby Awards, want to recognize.

The way to do so, according to Olivas, is actually to scale down. By narrowing the focus of the AI tools you choose and creating a deep focus on smaller problems, you set yourself up for better outcomes.

“It’s important to pick your battles. You’ve got to really assess how much time is going to be invested, narrow the scope, break it down into smaller parts,” said Olivas.

“As much as you want to scale up, you also have to scale down. And when you scale down, AI can help.”

Amori Langstaff of WP Engine noted a clear difference between building intentionally with AI as opposed to just tacking it onto your tech stack. She shared insights from WP Engine’s recent relaunch of its own chatbot experience, underscoring the importance of having a clear purpose for the tools and thinking about AI systematically.

“To me, the biggest unlock of AI is that it’s fundamentally a learning system. It’s not just about tools—there are tons of little widgets. When I think about how we unlock AI, it’s not ‘what tool can I just put on top of this experience,’ but rather ‘what process or experience can we make smarter with a learning system?’” said Langstaff.

“I think about, for instance, our chatbot. We just offloaded our existing, very basic chatbot, and instead of just choosing another chatbot, I wanted it to do more. I wanted it to watch. I wanted it to learn. I wanted it to greet people. I want to have this conversational narrative layer on the site. Of course, it’s an AI tool—He’s very nice, Walter; say hi to him when you come to WP Engine—but he’s not just sitting on top of our site.

“The question I’m asking my team is ‘how do we actually make the site interact with Walter directly, so that the things that are happening in this conversational interface mean something in the entire layer?’ You have to think about AI systemically, not as just a widget or a tool.”

Katie Peninger of Lewis provided an agency point of view, sharing how AI is enabling both large and small teams in different ways.

“AI is leveling the playing field in a lot of ways. For startups and smaller clients who were hindered by budgets or team size, AI is opening a whole new world for them to be able to do things that they couldn’t do before,” said Peninger.

“For larger organizations, it’s helping them untangle complexity in a lot of ways. So, I think it’s giving teams of all sizes incredible access to things that really help their businesses grow.”

Case studies in craft, agility, and speed

The conversation then shifted focus toward two Webby Award-winning projects featured in Code that Scales, both of which are hosted by WP Engine. Gelato La Boca, built by Olivas’ team at Matchbox Studio, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience created by Peninger’s team at Lewis, each combine high-level craft and scalability.

Olivas described the process of building the Gelato La Boca site, which earned Webby recognition for Websites and Mobile Sites in the Food and Drink category. He shared how foundational principles are vital to building scalable experiences that still delight visitors visually.

“For me, scaling is a lot about the foundation, whether that’s a code base, a framework, or design principles. If you have that core foundation, you’ll be able to scale it. And now with AI, there are even more possibilities, ideas, and capabilities if you have that strong core foundation,” he said.

Langstaff echoed his sentiment, sharing that, while new AI-powered tools crop up every day, building a strong foundation for the tools you choose is more important than implementing every new tool that arises.

“AI tools have changed a lot in a year—I can’t even imagine what 2026 is going to look like. The biggest thing we need to think about as we’re building today is that the foundational stuff needs to be rock solid, because that will allow us to be nimble when things do change,” she said.

As Peninger discussed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail project, which earned a Webby People’s Voice Award, she noted that scalability is about more than achieving impressive metrics. Instead, every project will have a different definition of success, because success should center around meeting the goals of your client.

“For Kentucky Bourbon Trail, there were a lot of operational challenges. So we said ‘How can we use this to not only help the visitor, but also help the distilleries?” 

“I think that a huge measure of success for us is when a distillery says, ‘we’re starting to see people have a better understanding of how to get around Kentucky, what they need to expect before they even come, how they need to plan their trip,’” said Peninger.

AI as an operational force and creative catalyst

The panel also discussed the tactical use of AI and how it can enhance operational success and creative output.

Amori Langstaff explored what companies need to do to ensure that AI amplifies their current tech stack, rather than acting as a temporary fix.

“You don’t want to end up with just more stuff, more tools that work very locally. We have to simplify all of these technology decisions. They must be so essentially grounded in the job that needs to be done, because it’s very easy to build fractional solutions,” she said.

“Coming back to this idea of scalability for an organization: scalability for any business comes from maximizing value. I think that’s where we can start to think about AI in a different way. It’s not separate and additive, but can it be a force multiplier? I want to see AI sitting on top of that orchestration layer and the workflow layer to unlock meaningful growth.”

Cosme Olivas shared excitement about the new creative curiosity AI empowers, and how it’s opening the door to new paths for creative growth.

“I think back to when I first did my first site, and why I even got into web development is that I was very curious about interactions online. What could the possibilities be?” he said.

“I think now I’m reliving that again with AI. It’s a renewed curiosity of, ‘What can I do? What’s next?’ That’s what has me the most excited.”

Katie Peninger shared how AI is already changing team dynamics at agencies like Lewis. She discussed the new abilities that appear when strategists and creatives harness these new tools.

“When [AI] is used in the right way, it’s unlocking almost a superpower. Human creativity is an incredible and exciting thing, and I think we have not even begun to see what it’s truly going to unlock from a creativity standpoint,” she shared. 

“Like I was saying earlier, thinking about not being limited by time or budget or bandwidth—it’s all about people’s imagination and what you can do with it.”

Keep crafting scalable, future-proof experiences with WP Engine

Thank you to our partners at The Webby Awards for their continued work and to Cosme Olivas, Amori Langstaff, and Katie Peninger for sharing their time. 

The Crafted Future series will continue to explore stories from Webby-recognized projects built on WordPress, sharing unique perspectives on building successful, future-ready digital destinations.

Check out even more Crafted With Code stories on the Webby Awards’ website, and keep an eye on the WP Engine blog for more coverage of these incredible projects.