Web Application Development
Custom web applications that replace spreadsheets, manual steps and off-the-shelf tools that almost fit
Starting small is welcome. See Pricing for what makes a project suitable for Starter pricing.
Most businesses reach a point where the tools they started with stop keeping up. A spreadsheet becomes the system of record. A process that worked with ten customers breaks at two hundred. An off-the-shelf product does eighty per cent of what you need and refuses to do the rest.
A custom web application fixes that by building the software around how your business actually works, rather than reshaping your business around someone else's product. We build SaaS MVPs, customer portals, internal dashboards, booking systems, workflow platforms and admin systems for startups and growing businesses worldwide.
DesignDotIT is a founder-led studio based in Japan. You work directly with the person writing your code — there is no account manager relaying messages, and no junior team quietly assigned to your project after the pitch. You get a fixed-price proposal after discovery, you own the code, and we are still reachable after launch.
Who this service is for
Founders building a first product
You have validated the idea and need a real, working application in front of paying users, not another prototype. A Starter engagement gets a usable core in weeks rather than months.
Growing businesses outgrowing spreadsheets
Your operations run on shared sheets and manual copying. You need a proper system with real accounts, permissions and an audit trail before something important gets lost.
Teams stuck with software that almost fits
You are paying for a tool that forces awkward workarounds. A custom build removes the workarounds and the per-seat fee that comes with them.
Companies who need a customer-facing portal
Your clients email you for updates, documents or bookings that they should be able to get themselves, at any hour, without you in the loop.
Businesses replacing an ageing internal system
Something built years ago still runs a critical process, but nobody wants to touch it. You need it rebuilt on a stack a future developer can actually pick up.
Problems this service solves
- ✦Critical business data lives in spreadsheets that several people edit at once, with no history of who changed what.
- ✦Your team re-enters the same information into three different tools because none of them talk to each other.
- ✦Customers email or call for updates, invoices and documents that they should be able to find themselves.
- ✦An off-the-shelf product covers most of your process but forces manual workarounds for the part that matters most.
- ✦You are paying rising per-seat fees for software you have outgrown and cannot customise.
- ✦An existing internal system works, but the person who built it has gone and nobody can safely change it.
Typical use cases
SaaS MVPs
A first commercial version of your product with accounts, billing and the core workflow that proves people will pay for it.
Customer portals
A secure area where your clients log in to see their projects, documents, invoices or order status without emailing you.
Internal dashboards
One screen that pulls numbers from the systems you already use, so decisions stop waiting on someone exporting a spreadsheet.
Booking and scheduling systems
Availability, reservations, reminders and payments handled automatically, with the rules your business actually uses.
Workflow platforms
Multi-step processes with approvals, assignments and status tracking, replacing chains of email and chat.
Admin and back-office systems
Internal tools for managing customers, inventory, records or applications, with roles and permissions that match your team.
What's included
Starter Engagement
- ✓A discovery call to agree the single most valuable thing to build first
- ✓One core workflow built end to end, not a clickable mock-up
- ✓Secure user accounts and sign-in
- ✓A responsive interface that works on phones, tablets and desktops
- ✓Deployment to live hosting with your own domain
- ✓A walkthrough session and handover of the code and accounts
Full Build
- ✓Everything in the Starter engagement
- ✓Full application scope agreed and fixed-priced after discovery
- ✓Multiple user roles and permission levels
- ✓Admin area so your team can manage content and records without a developer
- ✓Integrations with the tools you already use, such as payments, email or your CRM
- ✓Reporting and data export where your process needs it
- ✓Automated tests across the parts of the system that would hurt most if they broke
- ✓Performance and accessibility work before launch
- ✓Documentation covering how the system is structured and how to run it
Delivery process
Discovery call
A conversation about what the business needs to do, not a list of features. We identify what to build first and what can wait.
Fixed-price proposal
You receive a written scope, timeline and fixed price. If we think the project should be smaller, we say so before you commit.
Design and data modelling
We agree the screens and how information is structured, so changes happen on paper rather than halfway through the build.
Build in visible stages
You get a working link early and see progress as it happens, rather than waiting for a reveal at the end.
Testing and review
We test the paths that matter, fix what surfaces, and walk you through the result while there is still time to adjust.
Launch and handover
We deploy to production, hand over the code and accounts, and take you through running it yourself.
What You Walk Away With
Deliverables
- ✓A live, deployed web application on your own domain
- ✓Full source code, transferred to your ownership
- ✓Admin access and all hosting and service accounts in your name
- ✓Documentation covering setup, deployment and how the system fits together
- ✓A recorded or live walkthrough of how to use and administer it
Timeline & Pricing
Starter Engagement
$1,200 – $2,500
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks
Full Build
From $2,500
Typical timeline: 4–8 weeks
Prices shown in USD, GBP and JPY quotes available on request. See the full Pricing page for how Starter and Full Build engagements differ across every service.
Technologies & integrations
Relevant case study
We don’t have a published case study for this exact service yet. Browse the full portfolio for real, completed projects.
FAQs
Do I own the code once the project is finished?▾
Yes. Once the project is paid in full, the source code is yours, along with the hosting and service accounts, which are set up in your name from the start. There is no lock-in and no licence you have to keep paying for.
How much does a custom web application cost?▾
Starter engagements run from $1,200 to $2,500 and full builds start from $2,500, quoted after discovery, because the honest answer depends on scope. You get a fixed price in writing before any work begins, so the number does not move unless you ask for something new. See the pricing page for what shapes the range.
How long does it take?▾
A Starter engagement usually takes two to four weeks. A full production build typically runs four to eight weeks depending on scope. You get a specific timeline in your proposal, not a range.
Can you work with our existing systems?▾
Usually yes. Most projects connect to something already in place, whether that is a CRM, a payment provider, an accounting tool or an internal database. We confirm what is possible during discovery rather than promising it upfront.
What happens if we need changes after launch?▾
You can request changes at any time. Small adjustments are quoted individually and larger pieces of work are scoped like any other project. We do not require a retainer to stay reachable.
Who actually builds it?▾
The founder does. DesignDotIT is a founder-led studio, and specialists are brought in only when a project genuinely needs a skill outside that scope. You will not be handed to a different team after signing.
We are a small startup. Is our project too small?▾
Probably not. Starter engagements exist for exactly this reason: a clearly-scoped first piece that gets something real running, rather than a large commitment before you know it works.
Security and quality
Authentication and access control are built in from the start, not added later. Data is transmitted over HTTPS, passwords are hashed, and permissions are enforced on the server rather than only hidden in the interface. Dependencies are kept current and inputs are validated on the server side. Automated tests cover the paths that would cause the most damage if they broke, and every project is reviewed for performance and accessibility before launch. Where a project handles personal data, we agree what is stored and for how long during discovery rather than collecting everything by default.
After You Launch
Every build includes a 30-day period after launch where anything that is not working as agreed is fixed at no cost. After that, you can reach us directly for changes, quoted per piece of work, or arrange an ongoing monthly arrangement if you would rather have regular time set aside. There is no lock-in contract, and we do not disappear once the invoice is paid.
Further reading
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