Engagement models

Three ways to work with us, one fixed quote to start.

Some clients arrive with a clear brief, some with a rough idea, some with a live product that needs a team. We match the engagement to what you already know, and you see the full price before anything begins.

The models

Pick the model that fits what you know today.

How much is already decided shapes how we should work together. You can move from one to the next as things become clearer.

01Define

Discovery sprint

For when the problem is clear but the solution isn't yet.

Works when
The next product or technical decision is still open
You get
A written scope, a prototype and a fixed quote
Then
A fixed-scope build, with us or anyone else
02Build

Fixed-scope build

For a defined first release with an agreed scope and price.

Works when
Requirements are understood and agreed
You get
Milestones you can test, against a fixed quote
Then
Launch, then a care plan or a clean handover
03Grow

Dedicated product team

For a live product with a roadmap that keeps moving.

Works when
The product is live and the roadmap is active
You get
A standing team, monthly releases and reporting
Then
Continues month to month, on 15 days' notice
Where you're starting

Not sure which model? Start from where you are.

A new idea, a live product that's struggling and a product that keeps growing each need something different first.

Build

A new product

You have an idea, a brief or a funded plan, and nothing built yet.

Best fit

Discovery sprint, then a fixed-scope build

MVP Development →
Improve

An existing product

Something is live but slow, dated or hard to change without breaking it.

Best fit

An audit, then a fixed-scope build or a team

Product Modernisation →
Extend

A product that keeps growing

It works, people use it, and you need a team that keeps shipping.

Best fit

A dedicated product team

Ongoing Product Engineering →
Cost and timeline

What actually drives cost and timeline.

Two projects with the same name can differ hugely in effort. These are the things we look at before we put a number on anything.

01

Scope and depth

How many kinds of user, workflows, screens and platforms the first release has to cover, and how many decisions are still open.

  • + Roles
  • + Workflows
  • + Platforms
02

What already exists

The state of any existing code, the data that has to move across, and every system the product must talk to.

  • + Data
  • + Integrations
  • + Legacy code
03

Pace and continuity

How soon you need it, how much can happen in parallel, and whether we hand it over at launch or keep it running.

  • + Deadline
  • + Parallel work
  • + After launch

The more of this you can share up front, the sooner we can give you a fixed, itemised quote.

In writing

Everything important is agreed before we start.

With every proposal you get a short working agreement. It sets out the commercial terms and how we'll work together, so neither side has to guess later.

Working agreementAtrix Studio × your team
  1. 01

    Scope and price

    What's in the release, what's deliberately left out, and a fixed, itemised price for it.

  2. 02

    Milestones and payments

    An agreed advance to start, then payments against milestones you can see and test. Never hours logged.

  3. 03

    Changes

    How new requests are raised, priced and approved, so the scope only moves when you say so.

  4. 04

    Communication

    One point of contact, a weekly written update, a demo every two weeks and a reply within the hour.

  5. 05

    Definition of done

    Reviewed, tested, working on staging and accepted by you. Not before.

  6. 06

    Ownership and handover

    Code, design files and accounts handed over in your name, owned by you once paid.

  7. 07

    Confidentiality

    An NDA on request, and confidentiality that outlasts the project.

For Atrix Studio
For you

Questions

The things people
ask us first.

If yours isn’t here, send it over. We reply within 1 hour, guaranteed, and you’ll get a straight answer rather than a brochure.

Do you charge by the hour?

+

No. Defined projects have a fixed, itemised price, and ongoing work is a monthly retainer. Billing by the hour against a moving target turns every scope conversation into an argument, so we don't do it.

How do you turn an estimate into a fixed price?

+

After the first call we know roughly what you need. Discovery fills in the detail: roles, workflows, integrations and data. Once that's written down, we price each part of it, so the quote is itemised and you can see exactly what drives the total.

How are payments structured?

+

On a fixed-scope build, an agreed advance starts the work and the rest is paid against milestones set out in the proposal. A dedicated team is billed monthly. Every amount and date is in the proposal before you sign.

Can we start with discovery only?

+

Yes. Discovery is a self-contained piece of work that ends with a written scope, a prototype and a quote. They're yours to keep, whether you build with us or not.

What if our budget and our scope don't match?

+

We'd rather say so early. We'll show you which parts of the scope carry the most cost and suggest a smaller first release that still does the important job, with the rest planned for later.

Can we switch models later?

+

Yes, and most clients do. A discovery sprint usually leads into a fixed-scope build, and a launched product often moves onto a dedicated team or a monthly care plan.

Atrix Studio

Where ambitious
ideas become reality.

We design, develop, and support digital experiences that turn ambitious ideas into meaningful products.