Lab3 Apps

Problem-solving app and web work from New Zealand

Lab3 Apps is an app and web agency that started in Aotearoa New Zealand and now runs offices in Christchurch, Nelson and London. The company describes itself as a team of problem solvers that builds technology to help businesses reach the next level. Its work runs from the first idea through to a released product, and it says it works with clients across the world, with the London office serving the British and European market.

What the team builds

The agency makes mobile apps, web apps and desktop software, together with the cloud-based platforms and backend systems that keep them running. It also produces augmented and virtual reality experiences, which the site describes as immersive work on the cutting edge of the technology. Product planning and design sit at the start of each job, where the team sets out the problem, tests it against the needs of the customer, and then shapes the product around that understanding.

How a project moves from idea to release

The company publishes a six-part account of how app development works, and that account sets out its method. It begins with first steps and requirements gathering, moves to ideation and design, and then asks the client to make key decisions before development begins. The build is followed by handover, release and support, so the agency stays with a product after launch rather than leaving it at the point of delivery.

Projects on the site

The portfolio shown on the site includes a quiz show app built for a television format and an augmented reality app for the home. A further group of apps built for an HR services provider is listed among its work. Each project is described in terms of the business problem it solved rather than the technology alone.

Clients and approach

Lab3 says it works with businesses, organisations and creative firms, both in New Zealand and internationally. The agency's stated approach is to take clients' ideas seriously, to challenge them where needed and to deliver to a high standard on time, and it describes the London office as a base for work with British and European organisations.