Our software development process from concept to working solutions
Development phase
Your Project Manager assembles a development team matched to your technical requirements, timeline, and scope. Team composition varies by project complexity, from focused specialists for template-based implementations to full-stack teams for custom-built systems.
Web projects: template-based vs custom builds
How design feeds into development depends on the type of project. For a template-based website, we work within the selected theme's structure and make targeted modifications recommended by our design team. Development then focuses on fitting your business logic into that framework while maintaining performance and compatibility.
A custom website or web application starts differently. Our design team creates mockups from scratch, defining the interface elements, workflows, and interaction patterns around your requirements before development begins. If you have an internal design team, we build from its approved specifications instead.
Mobile apps follow the custom route: we create original mockups before development unless your creative department provides approved designs.
Co-Dev: shape the prototype with us
For suitable custom systems, Co-Dev is an optional way to stay involved in the development. You shape a working prototype with us, while experienced senior developers remain responsible for the technical result and production readiness.
Co-Dev can start with a new system or a feature for an existing system. From intake, it usually takes one to two weeks to create the working prototype. Its fixed price includes a workshop of two sessions before collaborative shaping begins.
During shaping, you use Codex with your own key on your own computer in an environment configured and managed by 1902 Software. Our meetings, answers to agentic development questions, and requested prototype changes are billed at $80 per hour. The prototype then gives us a concrete basis for scoping the fixed-price production build, where you can continue to stay involved if you want to.
Core development activities
During this phase, our team:
- Programs your system's primary functions.
- Integrates third-party services through APIs, modules or plugins.
- Installs and configures required dependencies.
- Tests major functionality incrementally to catch issues early.
Project visibility and communication
Your Project Manager monitors development progress through daily standup meetings with the team. You receive updates through weekly status meetings, access to our online project management system, and regular progress reports.
Why we don't provide access during active Fixed Price Project development: early access to an incomplete production build creates more problems than it solves. Clients may report errors in features still being developed, while questions about unfinished work interrupt developers mid-task. We grant access once development reaches testable completion.
Co-Dev works differently. Clients shape a working prototype with us, while experienced senior developers retain responsibility for the technical result and production readiness.
Testing and quality assurance
Once development completes, your system moves to our QA team for full testing on the staging server, functionality verification, UI/UX compliance against approved mockups, cross-browser compatibility, and responsive design validation.
Mobile app testing
App projects undergo testing, by default, on the three most recent iOS and/or Android versions at the time of testing. We account for diverse device models, network connectivity variations, built-in phone features, and platform-specific behaviors before submission to app stores.
Conversion and user experience focus
Testing doesn't just verify that features work, we evaluate whether workflows make sense and whether the interface guides users toward desired actions, proactively suggesting UX improvements when testing reveals friction points.
Automated testing for frequent updates
Systems that change regularly, particularly ecommerce platforms with constant product updates, benefit from automated testing environments that run every time code changes, catching regressions immediately.
Deployment and launch
Hosting selection, you choose your hosting provider; we provide recommendations based on your technical requirements, traffic expectations, and budget.
Server configuration, our technical Project Managers install your website or application on your chosen server and verify the environment matches your specifications.
Technical SEO preparation, before launch, we conduct a technical SEO, AEO, and GEO audit covering crawlability, robots.txt and XML sitemap configuration, meta tags and structured data, page speed and mobile-friendliness.
Content finalization on staging, we provide access to your system on staging where you can update content, meta tags, and imagery. When you confirm everything is ready, we coordinate the switch to production.
Live verification, our QA team tests the live version immediately after launch to confirm everything transferred correctly.
Mobile app deployment
We submit completed apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or alternative distribution platforms, coordinate the public release once approved, and our QA team tests the live app directly from the store after publication.
Project completion and handover
At completion, we deliver all source code files, design assets and graphic materials, and handover documentation where relevant.
Post-launch support
The team that built your system remains your go-to resource for changes, enhancements and troubleshooting, typically through Continuous Monthly Development. Your original Project Manager and development team remain available to troubleshoot issues, implement modifications, and support scaling and performance optimization as your business evolves.
Why our process works
This structured approach emerged from delivering thousands of projects since 1998:
- Phased development with continuous testing catches problems early, before they become expensive.
- Dedicated QA before launch ensures quality rather than hoping users won't find bugs.
- Technical SEO before deployment means your site launches ready for search visibility.
- Team continuity from build through support eliminates knowledge transfer gaps.
Ready to discuss your project?
Whether you’re building a custom website or application from scratch, developing a mobile app, or need a template-based site implemented and configured, we’d be happy to help. Book a meeting and we’ll put together a team matched to your technical requirements, timeline and scope.
Free, no-commitment
Commonly asked questions
Why don't you provide access to the project during active development?
Early access to incomplete systems creates more problems than it solves, users report errors in features still under development, and answering questions about unfinished work interrupts developers mid-task. We grant access once development reaches testable completion on the staging server.
How long does each phase of the development process typically take?
Timeline depends on project complexity and scope. Template-based websites move faster than custom-built systems because they follow existing structures. Your Project Manager provides a detailed timeline during planning, before development begins, and for large projects, this timeline comes out of a Project Scoping phase.
Do you provide ongoing support after launch?
Yes, typically through Continuous Monthly Development. Your original Project Manager and development team remain available for troubleshooting, modifications, new features, and technical guidance. The team that built your system stays your go-to resource.
What documentation do you provide at project completion?
You receive all source code files, design assets, and, for complex systems, handover documentation covering system maintenance and administration.
Do you handle hosting and technical SEO too?
You choose your hosting provider based on our recommendations, we handle server configuration and installation. Before launch, we conduct a technical SEO, AEO, and GEO audit. Content optimization, keyword analysis, page titles, link building, falls outside our service scope and happens separately.