App & Web development and consultancy tailored for Start-ups and SME-s in Geneva and Zurich.

The Discovery Phase is a pivotal stage in the development process of an app or website, dedicated to delving deep into the essential functionalities and features that the final product must encompass. Through a series of intensive workshops conducted in close collaboration with you a comprehensive understanding of the project’s target group, objectives and functional requirements are designed

The key outputs of the Swiss Discovery Phase are:

• Target Group & Project objectives: we will work out with you personas that define your most important target group as well as the overall objectives that the project should deliver on
• Functional specifications: The workshops facilitate the creation of detailed specifications, which serve as the blueprint for the development journey ahead.
• UX/UI prototype: using the Figma prototyping tool, we will create the most important screens with an intuitive navigation and a design that is in line with your brand’s visual guidelines
• Technical recommendation: we will assess technical feasibility and provide you with a detailed technical recommendation including both the front-end (the visible part) and the back-end component (the server-side solution that powers the front-end)

A lot of successful start-ups used our proven Swiss Discovery Process to launch their product, you can read more about this process here.

We will advise you on the right technology to use, but the below chart will already provide you with a great overview

At the foundation, there’s the co-founding partner. They are essential in overseeing the project’s vision and direction. Their leadership and foresight set the tone for the entire project.

Responsible for streamlining communication and ensuring that project milestones are met. Serving as the primary contact throughout the project’s duration, they are the glue that keeps the team aligned and on track.

Each project needs a designer, tasked with crafting an intuitive and visually appealing interface. Their expertise ensures the project is both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, following the branding guidelines that represent the company on all platforms.

Depending on the project’s complexity, especially if it’s an application, the development team plays a vital role. You might require up to three developers based on the application or website specifications:

• One focusing on system architecture, laying the blueprint for the project.
• Another dedicated to backend infrastructure, ensuring the core systems run smoothly.
• And a third who zeroes in on frontend interactions, making sure the user’s experience is seamless.

Their role is critical in guaranteeing the project’s functionality. By identifying and resolving any glitches or issues, they ensure that the final product meets the highest standards before delivery.

Depending on the complexity of a website or app the price and development time varies significantly. Our costs are calculated based on the hours of development a project requires.

If it is a complex project, we recommend starting with our Swiss Discovery Phase, where through multiple workshops we identify what functions and features are necessary for a certain website or application. Through these workshops we create the specifications required for development, a crucial step in any development process. Then a prototype is created with the UX/UI design agreed upon in the workshops. For a medium complexity project, this can take 130-150 hours, reaching around 200 hours for more complex projects. The Discovery phase lasts between 3-4 months.

• iOS and Android front-end development: range between 200 – 600 hours per platform
• Web app development hours: require 250-500 hours
• Back-end development: if there is no existing back-end, then it can require 300-800 hours

A medium complexity web app + back-end: 700-1’000 hours.
A medium complexity iOS & Android app + back-end: 1’000-1300 hours

As for the timing, you can count with 3-6 months of development depending on the complexity.

Find out more in the app development cost article.

Low complexity, simple introduction website: 180-250 hours, roughly 3-4 months

• Medium complexity website: 300-600 hours, roughly 4-6 months
• High complexity website with advanced modules: 600-800 hours, can take 6-8 months to complete or more.

Websites are most often developed using WordPress or Drupal. The hourly fees for Drupal development are 15% higher compared to WordPress.  You can read more about the topic in our article about website development costs.

Swiss Tomato’s team combines Switzerland-based experienced account managers with experienced developers and designers in Budapest to provide you with the best value.

Creating a new application takes around 3-6 months, this depends on the complexity of the app. Our developer agency in Geneva and Zurich uses agile development (2-week sprints with defined development tasks) or the waterfall development method, which consists of 5 key steps:

To expedite our understanding of your requirements and streamline our collaboration, we invite you to download our brief templates and complete it with all the necessary information. Alternatively, you can send us your own brief, if you have it already.

A well-written brief will not only help in crystallising your needs but will also ensure that we can quickly grasp the essence of your project. By providing us with this structured information, you’re taking a pivotal step toward a seamless partnership and efficient project execution.

We appreciate your effort in this initial phase, as it sets the tone for a productive engagement. Are you ready to get started?

Download App development brief template

Download Web development brief template