Modernise the product your business runs on, without stopping it.
An honest audit, then a phased plan that replaces the risky parts first, so every release makes the product faster, safer and easier to change, and nothing goes dark while it happens.
- Audit before advice
- Shipped in stages
- No big-bang cutover
Signs a product is overdue for modernisation.
Ageing software rarely fails all at once. It just gets slower to change, until every release feels risky. These are the usual symptoms.
- 01
Small changes take weeks
A simple feature touches half the codebase, and every estimate comes with a warning.
- 02
Releases break something
Each deploy fixes one thing and quietly breaks another, so the team ships less often.
- 03
It's slow and getting slower
Pages and reports that used to load in a second now take ten, and customers notice.
- 04
The stack is out of support
Framework and library versions no longer get security fixes, and upgrading feels impossible.
- 05
Only one person understands it
Knowledge lives in one developer's head, and nothing is written down.
- 06
It looks its age
The interface hasn't changed in years and is costing you in sales demos and reviews.
Rewrite from scratch, or modernise in stages?
A full rewrite is tempting and usually riskier than it looks. Most products are better served by replacing the worst parts first while the rest keeps running.
| Consideration | Full rewrite | Phased modernisation |
|---|---|---|
| First release | Full rewriteMonths away, all at once | Phased modernisationWithin weeks, part by part |
| Risk | Full rewriteHigh, a big-bang cutover | Phased modernisationContained to one area at a time |
| Business continuity | Full rewriteTwo systems run in parallel for long | Phased modernisationThe product keeps running throughout |
| Knowledge | Full rewriteOld edge cases are easy to lose | Phased modernisationEdge cases carried across deliberately |
| Value delivered | Full rewriteOnly at the end | Phased modernisationWith every phase |
| Right when | Full rewriteThe old system is genuinely beyond saving | Phased modernisationMost of the time |
Sometimes a rebuild really is cheaper, and if the audit says so, we'll tell you. We just won't start there by default.
The parts of an ageing product that matter most.
We start where the risk and the cost are highest, and leave alone whatever is still working well.
- 01
Codebase and architecture audit
A clear read on the code, data, dependencies and infrastructure, with risks ranked and a plan you can act on.
- Code review
- Dependency scan
- Risk register
- 02
Phased migration
The system moved to a modern stack piece by piece, with old and new running side by side until each part is proven.
- Strangler pattern
- Data migration
- Feature parity
- 03
Performance work
Slow pages, reports and APIs found with real measurements and fixed at the cause, from queries to caching.
- Profiling
- Query tuning
- Caching
- 04
UX and interface refresh
A modern, consistent interface on top of the same workflows, so users get the improvement without relearning everything.
- Design system
- Responsive screens
- Accessibility
- 05
Security and dependencies
Unsupported frameworks upgraded, vulnerabilities patched and secrets moved out of the code.
- Framework upgrades
- Patching
- Secrets
- 06
Infrastructure and cost
Hosting moved or reshaped so it's reliable, automated and sized for what you actually use.
- Cloud migration
- CI/CD
- Right-sizing
From an honest audit to a product you're not afraid to change.
Every phase ships something real, so modernisation pays for itself as it goes instead of all at the end.
- 01
Audit
We read the code, the data and the infrastructure, and talk to the people who work with it every day.
You get- Audit report
- Risk register
- 02
Plan the phases
A sequence that tackles the riskiest, most expensive parts first, with a fixed quote for the first phase.
You get- Phase plan
- Fixed quote
- 03
Safety net first
Tests around the parts we'll change, plus monitoring and backups, before anything moves.
You get- Test coverage
- Monitoring
- 04
Modernise a phase
One area rebuilt or upgraded, run alongside the old version, then switched over once it's proven.
You get- Shipped phase
- Rollback plan
- 05
Repeat and retire
Phase by phase until the old parts can be switched off, with documentation written as we go.
You get- Retired legacy
- Documentation
What we build is yours. In writing.
Software you'll run for years shouldn't tie you to the people who wrote it. Once the work is paid for it's yours outright, handed over in accounts you control.
- 01
Code and IP
Full ownership of the code and design files passes to you on payment. No licence fees, ever.
- 02
Your own accounts
Repositories, hosting, stores and domains are handed over in your name, not kept in ours.
- 03
Documentation
Setup guides, architecture notes and a record of key decisions, so any capable team can pick it up.
- 04
Confidentiality
We sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive, and treat your data that way throughout.
How we change a live system safely.
Modernising software people rely on every day is mostly about not breaking it. These practices are how.
- Safety
Tests before changes
Behaviour pinned down with tests first, so we know immediately if something shifts.
- Continuity
Old and new side by side
The new version runs in parallel until it's proven, then traffic moves across gradually.
- Data
Careful migrations
Data moved with checks, counts and a dry run first, and a way back if anything looks wrong.
- Visibility
Monitoring from day one
Errors and performance watched before and after each change, so we compare like with like.
- Knowledge
Documentation as we go
Every decision and system written down, so knowledge stops living in one person's head.
- Reversible
A rollback for every phase
No phase goes live without a tested way to return to the previous version.
Where we usually take a product.
We modernise towards mainstream, well-supported technology that's easy to hire for, not whatever is newest.
From
- PHP
- Older .NET
- jQuery
- AngularJS
- On-premise servers
Frontend
- Next.js
- React
- TypeScript
Backend
- Node.js
- NestJS
- Python
- PostgreSQL
Infrastructure
- AWS
- Docker
- Terraform
- GitHub Actions
Safety
- Automated tests
- Sentry
- Feature flags
Start where you are, with a fixed quote first.
Every engagement starts with an itemised proposal. Pick the model that fits what you already know.
- 01Discovery sprintThe problem is clear, the solution isn't yet
- 02Fixed-scope buildRequirements are understood and agreed
- 03Dedicated product teamThe product is live and keeps growing
Recent work from the studio.
A look at what we've designed, built and launched recently.
Need something other than modernisation?
If the problem is narrower or the next step is different, one of these may fit better.
- Custom Software DevelopmentThe old system really is beyond saving and a new one is the answer.
- SaaS Product DevelopmentYou want to turn a single-client app into a product sold to many.
- UI/UX Product DesignThe workflows are fine and only the interface needs rethinking.
- Ongoing Product EngineeringOnce modernised, you need a steady team to keep it that way.
- AI Automation & AgentsWith modern APIs in place, you're ready to automate the manual work.
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.
Should we rewrite our product from scratch?
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Usually not. Rewrites take longer than expected, lose hard-won edge cases and deliver nothing until the end. Phased modernisation replaces the worst parts first while the product keeps running. If the audit shows a rebuild really is cheaper, we'll say so plainly.
Can you work on a codebase you didn't write?
+
Yes, that's most of this work. We start with an audit to understand the code, data and infrastructure, and talk to whoever knows the system best before changing anything.
Will there be downtime?
+
We plan to avoid it. Old and new run side by side, traffic moves across gradually, and every phase has a tested rollback. Any change that needs a maintenance window is agreed with you in advance.
How long does modernisation take?
+
It depends on the size of the system and how many phases it needs. The audit produces a phase plan, and the first phase usually ships within weeks, so you see value early rather than waiting for the end.
What does the audit include?
+
A review of the code, architecture, dependencies, data, infrastructure and deployment, with risks ranked by impact and a recommended order of work. It's useful on its own, whether or not we do the modernisation.
Can our team keep shipping features meanwhile?
+
Yes. We agree which areas we're changing and when, so your team can keep working elsewhere without stepping on each other.
Where ambitious
ideas become reality.
We design, develop, and support digital experiences that turn ambitious ideas into meaningful products.