Essential Designs

Custom systems, web applications and mobile apps are the work of Essential Designs, a studio with offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. It has offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, and it says its Vancouver head office leads each project. The studio presents eighteen years of experience in the trade and says it now uses artificial intelligence tools within its development work.

Native mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android

For mobile applications, the studio builds native apps, meaning code written for each platform rather than shared across them. It names Swift for iPhone and iPad apps, Objective-C for older projects, and native Android builds, and it also uses React Native where that suits the project. Its team handles the work from concept to deployment, including wireframing, graphic design, project management, testing and the app store approval process.

Data-driven web applications

The studio builds responsive web applications that rely on data. These can be new systems, or modern web-based rebuilds of older software that a client has outgrown. The head office team guides each client through the wireframe and design stages so that the finished product is built for continued use.

Custom platforms and backends

Beyond apps and websites, the studio builds custom software that stores and tracks the exact data a business needs. It can build an application from scratch or act as the backend for an application a client already has, which the studio says is a practical way to give a business a system that fits its own processes.

A five-step process with client approval

Each project follows five sequential steps, and each is managed by the studio's internal team. The client gives final approval before the next step begins. A wireframe and design are locked before any code is written, and each project is assigned a dedicated senior developer to keep code quality high and hit delivery deadlines. The studio describes a four-stage testing routine as part of the same discipline.

Design and user experience

The studio says it builds a creative and modern user experience into every application, not just the functional code. Its design work runs from the first concept and wireframe through to full graphic design for the software.

Case studies across sectors

The studio has worked on a range of projects. Examples on its site include a responsive safety web application with automated checks for an industrial company, an overdose response app for a health-focused organisation, a modernisation of a mobile application for an industrial group, a vendor platform for government buyers and platforms for smaller consumer and business ventures.

Support after launch

The studio also offers software support, including maintenance after a product is launched. It presents this as part of keeping a system usable as the business around it changes.