Resources
A field checklist for digital projects.
Ten practical notes we give to clients, arranged in the order you are likely to need them. Choose a stage to narrow the list.
10 notes shown
- Before you commission
Write a one-page brief
Describe who the users are, the three tasks they most need to complete and what would make the project a success in six months. Leave features for later.
- Before you commission
Decide app or website
If people use it occasionally and arrive from search, start with a website. If they use it often, need notifications or offline use, consider an app.
- While designing
Test with five people
Ask five people who match your users to complete one task on a prototype. Watch silently. Most serious problems appear within those sessions.
- While designing
Check contrast early
Body text should reach a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Fixing colour after build costs far more.
- Getting ready to launch
Own your store accounts
Register Apple Developer and Google Play accounts in your organisation’s name, not a contractor’s. Transferring later is slow.
- Getting ready to launch
Prepare policies before submission
Stores require a privacy policy URL and data-use declarations. Write them from what the app really collects.
- Getting ready to launch
Plan the first update
Reserve time after launch for fixes based on real use. A first release is the beginning of learning, not the end.
- Keeping systems healthy
Turn on two-step verification
Enable it for email, domain registrar, hosting and store accounts. These are the keys to everything else.
- Keeping systems healthy
Keep three copies of important data
Keep the original, a local back-up and an off-site copy, and test restoring one file each quarter.
- Keeping systems healthy
Know who controls your domain
Record the registrar, renewal date and login owner. Expired domains take email and websites down together.
Questions people ask before getting in touch
How much does an app cost?
It depends on scope. After an initial conversation we provide a written estimate with ranges and the assumptions behind them.
Do I need a finished specification?
No. A clear description of the problem is enough to start. Shaping the scope is part of our work.
Can you guarantee App Store approval?
No one can. We prepare submissions carefully against current guidelines and help respond to feedback.
Who owns the code?
We set up repositories and accounts so that you own them, subject to the agreed contract.
Do you offer out-of-hours support?
No. Support runs Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00 UK time. We are not a 24-hour or emergency service.