Documented architecture
Decision records explaining not just what we built but why, including the options we rejected.
Home/Process
How we work
A process designed so nothing surprises you in month four
Every step below produces something you can read, click or run. If a stage does not produce a tangible artefact, we do not charge you for it.
01
Discovery & product strategy
We start with the problem, not the backlog. Stakeholder interviews, user research, competitive teardown and a technical feasibility pass. You leave with a scoped roadmap and a fixed estimate.
02
Experience design
Information architecture, user flows, wireframes, then a clickable high-fidelity prototype in your brand. We test it with real users before a single component is built.
03
Architecture & setup
Data model, API contracts, environment strategy, CI/CD, observability and security baseline. Decisions get written down in an architecture record you keep.
04
Build in two-week sprints
Working software at the end of every sprint, deployed to a staging build you can open on your own phone. Demo, feedback, adjust — no six-week silences.
05
Quality assurance
Automated unit, integration and end-to-end suites run on every commit, plus manual testing on a real device matrix, accessibility checks and load testing before launch.
06
Launch & scale
Store submission, phased rollout, monitoring dashboards and an on-call runbook. Then we either hand over to your team with documentation and pairing, or stay on to iterate.
Communication
You will never wonder where the project stands
Silence is the most common complaint about development agencies. Here is exactly what you get, on a schedule.
- Shared board — your backlog is visible to you in real time — no status reports written for your benefit
- Daily written standup — posted to a shared Slack channel with your team in it
- Sprint demo every two weeks — live software, not slides, with a build you can install yourself
- Named delivery manager — one person accountable for the project from kickoff to handover
- Monthly steering call — roadmap, budget burn and risks, reviewed with your stakeholders
// Nothing ships until every one of these is green.
export const gate = {
tests: 'unit + integration + e2e',
coverage: 85, // minimum %
a11y: 'WCAG 2.2 AA',
perf: { cold_start: 1.8, lcp: 2.5 },
security: 'SAST + dependency audit',
rollback: true,
monitoring: ['crash', 'latency', 'funnel'],
};
export async function canRelease(build) {
const checks = await runAll(gate, build);
return checks.every(c => c.passed);
}
Handover
Built to be handed over
The measure of good agency work is how easily your own team can take it forward.
A real test suite
Meaningful coverage that catches regressions, plus instructions for running it locally and in CI.
Reproducible environments
One command to run the project from a clean machine. Infrastructure defined in code, not in someone's memory.
Pairing sessions
Two weeks of your engineers working alongside ours before we step back.
Access and ownership
Repos, cloud accounts, DNS, store listings and design files transferred to you in writing.
A support window
Thirty days of warranty on the delivered scope after handover, at no additional cost.
FAQ
Questions about working together
One decision-maker who can approve scope and give feedback within a couple of days, access to any subject-matter experts, and roughly two hours a week for demos and reviews. We handle the rest.
They usually do. Changes go through a short written change request with an effort estimate, and you decide whether to add scope, swap something out, or defer it. Nothing changes the price without your signature.
We break scope into features, estimate each in ranges, and add a contingency we disclose to you rather than hide. If we finish under estimate, you are billed for what was used.
Discovery is paid up front. Builds are milestone-based, typically 20% at kickoff with the balance across sprint milestones. Retainers are billed monthly in advance.
Distributed across North America and Europe, coordinated from San Francisco. We commit to at least four hours of overlap with your working day in the contract.
Fixed-scope projects can be halted at any milestone — you pay for completed work and receive everything produced to that point. Retainers require 30 days notice.
Start with a discovery call
Thirty minutes, no pitch deck. We will ask about the problem you are solving and tell you what we would do first.