You have an idea and some funding
You know it’s worth building but not exactly what it should be. That’s normal. The specification is the first thing we make together, and it’s what you hand to investors and developers.
Phase 01How we work
Know what you’re getting before you pay for it.
Five phases, each with a defined output and a fixed cost agreed before it starts.
1.0 · Why the order matters
The sequence is the protection.
Changing your mind in a workshop costs an afternoon. Changing it once the product is built costs a rebuild.
Every phase is designed to move the expensive decisions earlier, while they’re still cheap to change.
The cost of changing a decisionIllustrative
2.0 · The five phases
What happens, what you get, what you decide.
Every phase ends with something you can read, click or use, and a decision that’s yours to make.
-
01
Understand
What problem are we actually solving?
What happens
Structured workshops with the people who’ll sign the product off and the people who’ll use it. We review what already exists: your platform, your data, your competitors, the rules you operate under.
The aim is to separate what’s known from what’s assumed, before anyone starts designing around an assumption.
What you leave with
- Problem definitionThe real problem, in plain language, agreed by everyone who matters
- Users & stakeholdersWho uses it, who approves it, and what each needs
- Risks & constraintsRegulation, data protection, integrations and deadlines
- Scope outlineWhat the product needs to do first, and what can wait
You decideContinue to specification, with a fixed quote for it, or stop here with a clear definition of the problem.
-
02
Specify
What exactly will be built, and what won’t?
What happens
Every screen, user type, rule, permission and integration is written down and numbered. Security and accessibility requirements go in at this stage, not at the end.
We go through it with you line by line until it’s signed off. If something’s unclear to you, it would have been unclear to a developer.
What you leave with
- Functional specificationEvery requirement numbered, so a developer never has to guess
- User flows & wireframesHow each type of user moves through the product
- Security & accessibility criteriaData flows, access rules, WCAG 2.2 AA
- Itemised build quoteA fixed cost, priced line by line against the specification
You decide75 pagesof specification from a two-sentence brief, before the first line of code.Read the property licensing case studyThe specification is yours. Build with us, or hand it to any capable development team.
-
03
Prototype
Will it work for the people who use it?
What happens
We turn the key journeys into a clickable prototype, then lab test it with real users and walk your stakeholders through it. What users struggle with goes back into the specification.
This is the cheapest point to discover that a flow doesn’t work. It’s also something you can show a board or an investor.
What you leave with
- Clickable prototypeThe core journeys, realistic enough to test and demo
- Test findingsWhat worked, what didn’t, and what changed as a result
- Updated specificationRevised and re-signed, with the build quote confirmed
You decideLock the scope for build. Want to add something later? We’ll price it first, so you agree the cost before anything changes.
-
04
Build
Is it being built to what we agreed?
What happens
Our developers build to the signed-off specification. We manage them, so you have one point of contact, and test every numbered requirement before it reaches you.
You see working software at regular demos, not a big reveal at the end. Independent penetration testing is arranged and managed by us before launch.
What you leave with
- Your working productBuilt and tested against the specification, at the agreed cost
- Penetration test reportIndependent, with any findings fixed before launch
- Accessibility test resultsChecked against WCAG 2.2 AA during design and build
- Handover documentationSo the product isn’t locked to us
You decideGo live once you’ve accepted the product against the specification.
-
05
Improve
What should change next, and why?
What happens
Once real people are using the product, we analyse the data to see how it’s actually used, decide what to change, specify it, ship it and measure the result. Each cycle is scoped and priced the same way as the original build.
If you need product direction without a full-time hire, we can provide that on a fractional basis.
What you leave with
- A prioritised roadmapBased on how the product is used, not who asked loudest
- Regular releasesEach one specified, tested and measured
- Fractional oversightSenior product direction, as much as you need
You decide12 yearsof continuous improvement alongside BCL Legal, and counting.Read the BCL Legal case studyContinue one cycle at a time.
3.0 · Fixed cost
Scope first. Then the price.
Because every requirement is written down before build starts, every requirement can be priced. That’s what makes a fixed cost possible.
- Each phase is quoted separately, before it starts.
- The build quote is itemised against the specification, so you can see what each part costs.
- If you want something new, it’s priced before you agree to it. Never discovered on an invoice.
build-quote.pdffixed
- R12Sign-in & roles
- R13Approvals
- R14Audit trail
- Total
4.0 · Where you start
You don’t need a brief to begin.
Most clients start at phase 01. Not everyone does. On the first call we’ll tell you where we think you’d start, and why.
Your platform isn’t doing its job
It’s slow to change, users work around it, or it carries risk you can’t see clearly. We start by working out what to keep, what to fix and what to rebuild, before anything is touched.
Phase 01Your product is live and needs direction
It works, but nobody owns where it goes next. We can step in with structured improvement cycles or fractional product oversight, without you hiring full-time.
Phase 055.0 · Who’s involved
The people in the first workshop see it through.
Nobody hands you on. The same senior leads are involved in every phase, with specialists brought in where the work needs them.
| Lead | 01 Understand | 02 Specify | 03 Prototype | 04 Build | 05 Improve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy & specification | Leads | Leads | Involved | Involved | Leads |
| UX, design & content | Involved | Involved | Leads | Involved | Involved |
| Delivery & testing | Involved | Involved | Involved | Leads | Involved |
| Specialist networkDevelopment, security, copy and more | Involved | Involved | Involved | Involved |
LeadsInvolved
Square Owl are the kind of partner you build a business with.
6.0 · Questions
What people usually ask.
Do I have to commit to all five phases?
No. Each phase is quoted and agreed on its own. You’ll know what the next phase involves and costs before you decide to start it.
What if my idea changes along the way?
It often does, and that’s fine. A specification doesn’t lock the product. It marks the point where a decision was made, so changing course is a deliberate choice with a known cost, not something that happens by accident halfway through build.
What does it cost?
It depends on the scope, which is why we don’t publish prices. Each phase is fixed before it starts, and the build is priced line by line against the specification.
Can you work with our existing developers?
Yes. Some clients use us for understanding and specification, then build with their own team. The specification is written so any capable team can build from it.
How long does it take?
Understanding and specification usually take 6–12 weeks together. Build time is set by the scope and confirmed in the quote, so you’ll know the timeline before development begins.
We work in a regulated sector. Does that change anything?
It changes what goes into the specification, not the process. Data flows, access rules, retention and accessibility are written in from phase 01, and we give direct input into your data protection impact assessments.
Start here
Find out where you’d start.
A structured call about where you are now. You’ll leave knowing which phase fits, and whether we’re the right partner for it.