Marketplaces and platforms
Two-sided products where people search, compare, message and book, like the Atlas freelancer platform.
Web applications · products people use
Web applications that do the job, not just look the part.
Fresh & Crispy designs and builds web applications for UK businesses. We plan the user journeys, design the screens and build the working app, from customer portals and booking systems to marketplaces and internal tools, with the scope agreed in writing before work starts.
- Journeys before screens
- Design and build in one team
- Scope agreed in writing
[ 01 ]the real problem
Your process has outgrown spreadsheets, inboxes and workarounds.
A web application is software that runs in the browser. It lets people sign in and get something done, rather than just read about you. Many businesses reach the point where the real work happens across email threads, shared spreadsheets and off-the-shelf tools that almost fit. Every handover costs time, and customers feel the friction. A well-planned web app puts that work in one place.
- 01Customers email for things they could do themselves
- 02Your team copies the same data between three tools
- 03Off-the-shelf software forces your process into its shape
- 04You have a product idea but no team to design and build it
[ 02 ]what we build
The kinds of web apps we design and build.
Every app is different, but most fall into a few familiar shapes. We start from the job your users need to get done, then decide which features the first version needs.
Customer portals
Secure areas where customers sign in to see their account, documents, orders or progress without emailing you.
Booking and request systems
Tools that take enquiries, bookings or requests, check the details and route them to the right person.
Internal tools and dashboards
Admin panels, workflows and dashboards that replace spreadsheets and give your team one source of truth.
[ 03 ]fit and not a fit
Do you need a web app, or a better website?
A web app is a bigger commitment than a website. Here is how we tell the difference, and we will say so plainly if something simpler would do the job.
A good fit when
- People need to sign in and do something, not just read information.
- Your team runs a repeatable process across email, spreadsheets and several tools.
- Off-the-shelf software does not fit how your business actually works.
- You have a product idea and need one team to design and build the first version.
- You need the product and the public website that explains it to work together.
Not the right fit when
- You mainly need to explain your services and win enquiries. Website design is the better route.
- An existing tool already does 90 percent of the job at a fair price.
- You need one campaign page. A landing page is quicker and cheaper.
- You cannot yet say who the users are or what they need to get done.
- You need every feature live by a fixed date before the scope is known.
[ 04 ]what can be included
A defined first release, not an open-ended build.
Your proposal names the features, user roles, review points, responsibilities and exclusions before build begins. We help you decide what belongs in the first version and what can wait until real people are using it.
See how projects are priced →- Product planning
- User roles, core jobs to be done, user journeys, a feature list for the first release and the data the app needs.
- Interface design
- Wireframes, screen designs, reusable components, empty and error states, responsive layouts and accessibility decisions.
- Build
- Front end and back end, sign-in and accounts, database, search, messaging and admin tools, scoped to the features agreed.
- Integrations
- Payments, email, file storage, analytics and third-party services, scoped against the systems involved.
- Launch and handover
- Security and quality checks, hosting set-up in your name, a public marketing site if needed, launch support and documentation.
[ 05 ]how the project runs
You see the product take shape, stage by stage.
You approve the journeys before the screens, and the screens before the full build. That keeps expensive surprises out of the project and gives you real chances to change direction.
- 01
Discover
Understand your users, the process the app replaces, the data involved, your business priorities and the technical constraints.
Output: users, journeys and priorities - 02
Agree
Confirm the first-release features, user roles, integrations, review rounds, ownership and exclusions.
Output: written scope and project plan - 03
Design and build
Move from journeys to screen designs to a working app, with regular reviews of real, clickable progress.
Output: approved designs and a working app - 04
Test and launch
Complete the security, accessibility, performance and journey checks included in the scope, then launch and hand over.
Output: checked release and handover
Want the detail? Read the full delivery process.
[ 06 ]cost and scope
The quote follows the features the app actually needs.
We do not publish a package price for web apps, because the work depends on what the app has to do. The proposal states the price or pricing basis, assumptions and exclusions before you commit.
What shapes the quote
- Number of user roles and core journeys
- Features in the first release
- Data, integrations and third-party services
- Security, compliance and launch requirements
[ 07 ]recent work
Atlas.select · website and web app
From first search to final booking in one product
Atlas lets creative teams search for vetted freelancers in plain words, shortlist the best matches, message them and agree a booking, all in one web app. We designed the public website and designed and built the application behind it.
- Observable delivery
- Live search, profiles, messaging, jobs board and bookings
- Performance evidence
- Post-launch measurement is still pending
[ 08 ]frequently asked questions
Questions to ask before you build a web app.
Straight answers now prevent scope disputes and surprises later. If yours is not here, ask it on a call.
What is a web application?
A web application is software that runs in the browser. Unlike a normal website, which mostly shows information, a web app lets people do things: sign in, search, save, message, book or manage data. Customer portals, booking systems, marketplaces and internal dashboards are all web apps. People use them on a laptop or phone without installing anything.
How much does a web application cost?
There is no fixed price, because two apps with the same number of screens can need very different work. Cost depends on the user roles, the core features, the data involved, integrations such as payments or email, and how much you want in the first release. Your proposal states the scope, exclusions and price or pricing basis before you commit.
How long does it take to build a web app?
It depends on the features in the first release, how clear the requirements are and how quickly decisions get made. We will not quote a timeline before we understand those things. We usually recommend a focused first version that proves the core idea, then add features once real people are using it. The proposal sets out the stages and review points.
Do you design the app as well as build it?
Yes. We plan the user journeys, design the screens and build the working application, so design and engineering decisions are made together. If your product also needs a public website to explain it and bring people in, we can design that too, as we did for Atlas. You get one team instead of three separate contracts.
Who owns the code and the data?
Ownership of the design, code, content and accounts is written into the proposal before you commit. As a rule, your domain, hosting, database and third-party accounts should sit in your name rather than ours. That way you can move to another team later without being locked in, and your customer data stays under your control.
Can you add features after launch?
Yes. Most good web apps grow in stages. After launch we check that sign-up, core journeys, email and analytics work as intended. New features, fixes and ongoing support are scoped separately, so you pay for the work you choose and are never tied into a retainer just to keep the app running.
[ 09 ]talk it through
Bring us the process you want to put in one place.
Tell us who the users are and what they need to get done. We will tell you honestly whether a web app is the right answer and what a sensible first version looks like.
Need a website rather than an app? See our website design service.