Spec & architecture
User flows, data models, API contracts, and business logic defined before anything is built. The brief is what makes the build fast without making it fragile.
Web app development, from idea to launch.
We design and build web apps, client portals and internal tools that people enjoy using. From the first idea to a working product, our UK team brings the design, development and integrations together.
- Product strategy & UX
- Web apps & internal tools
- Integrations & ongoing care
Web apps, mobile products and internal tools
We first decide whether the product belongs in a browser, on a phone or both. Then we map the user journeys, data and integrations before designing the first release.
A clear path through your product.
Each screen helps people understand where they are and what to do next.
Development and testing
Build the interface and backend against the agreed scope, then check key journeys, error states and responsive behaviour before release.
Backend
Xano for API-first backends — auth, data models, endpoints, business logic. Neon (PostgreSQL) where full SQL control is needed.
Design & frontend
The interface is designed properly — not scaffolded and shipped. Webflow or custom React, built to feel polished and intentional. AI speeds up the build, not the thinking behind how it looks and feels.
Automation
Make connecting the app to business operations. Stripe, Twilio, OpenAI — integrated via the backend with proper error handling.
Web & mobile
Web apps first — faster to ship and easier to iterate. Where native is the right call, Hilvy builds with Expo or Despia, connected to the same backend stack.
A feel for our work.
A short look at the websites we design and build.
Product interfaces and connected systems.
For Body by Ciara, we connected a subscription website and custom CRM to a mobile app. Synnefa's website includes an interactive pricing calculator. Our VeVe work was an interface concept and Webflow prototype, not a shipped app.
A clear route from idea to production
The engagement is structured around decisions and releases, not an open-ended development backlog. You know what is being built, what it costs, and what success looks like before execution starts.
- Specification and architecture
- 1–2 weeks
- Typical focused MVP build
- 3–6 weeks
- One connected product stack
- Web + mobile
- Direct access to the delivery team
- UK + remote
Product specification
Turn an idea, workflow, or rough brief into a build-ready product plan.
- User journeys and edge cases
- Data model and API contracts
- Prioritised release scope
Focused MVP build
Ship a polished first release that real users can adopt and your team can operate.
- Responsive product interface
- Authentication, data, and payments
- QA, analytics, and launch support
Ongoing product partner
Improve the product after launch with a team that already knows the architecture.
- Roadmap and iteration sprints
- Monitoring and bug fixes
- New integrations and features
Tools behind your app
A connected setup, chosen around the way your team works.
Common questions about app development
A web app runs in the browser and can suit portals, dashboards and internal tools. A mobile app is installed on a phone and may need device features, offline use or app-store distribution. We decide which route fits the users and the first release before choosing the build stack.
A useful specification sets out user journeys, data, integrations and the first release's boundaries. It gives the team a shared basis for design, development, testing and a clear proposal.
We may use AI tools to prepare drafts or repetitive code. Hilvy's team reviews the architecture, data handling, user journeys and tests before a release. The scope and responsibility stay with the people delivering the product.
Xano for most projects — API-first, no server management, handles auth and business logic well. Neon (PostgreSQL) where full SQL control is needed. The choice is made during scoping based on what the product actually requires.
Yes. Web apps are usually the right starting point — faster and easier to iterate. Where native is genuinely needed, Hilvy builds with Expo (React Native) or Despia, connected to the same backend and automation stack.
Focused internal tools and client portals typically start around £8,000. SaaS MVPs with authentication, dashboards, payments, and integrations usually start around £20,000. Every build is scoped from a written specification, so you receive a clear fixed proposal before development begins.
A focused MVP with a clean spec typically takes three to six weeks. The specification itself takes one to two weeks. Larger products are split into measurable releases so the team can test real usage without waiting months for a single launch.
Hilvy offers ongoing retainers for teams who want a partner who already knows the codebase — not a studio that needs to learn it from scratch.
We agree the handover in the project scope. It should cover access to the product and its services, documentation for the key workflows, the checks needed before releases, and a clear route for support or further development.
Your project is in the right hands
A wealth of experience across a range of disciplines — from front-end development and backend engineering to QA, strategy, and beyond.
7 specialists·50+ projects·5★ rated
Have an app to build? Let's talk.
Bring the brief, the workflow, or just the problem. We'll tell you what belongs in the first release and what it will take to build properly.