Our process
How we turn your goals into shipped products
Every project at Digital Vancouver follows the same five-phase process — whether it's a marketing website, a custom application, or an AI integration. Clear milestones, transparent communication, and working software at every stage.
Design before building
We never start development until you've approved designs. It costs far less to change a mockup than rewrite code.
Fixed price, clear scope
You know what you're paying before we start. Scope changes are discussed openly and priced fairly — no surprise invoices.
Working software at every milestone
You can log into a staging environment and test real features at every sprint. No big-bang reveals.
One accountable team
The same team runs every phase. No handoffs between a "creative team" and a "dev team" — we own the whole project.
The five phases
Discovery
Week 1–2We start by understanding your business, your users, and what success looks like. We review your existing systems, ask the questions that most agencies skip, and align on goals before any design or code begins. You leave discovery with a clear scope document and a realistic sense of timeline and cost.
Deliverables
- Scope document and requirements brief
- Technical architecture overview
- Project timeline with milestones
- Fixed-price proposal
Design
Week 2–4Design happens before development — always. We build mobile-first mockups in Figma, present them for feedback, and iterate until every screen is approved. For software projects, this phase includes the data model and API contract so development can begin with full clarity on what we're building.
Deliverables
- Mobile and desktop mockups
- Component and interaction specs
- Data model and API design (software projects)
- Design system and brand alignment
Build
Week 3–10Development runs in short, focused sprints with staging deployments at every milestone. You can see and test working features as they're built — not just read status updates. We write automated tests alongside every feature and deploy to a staging environment before anything reaches production.
Deliverables
- Working staging environment
- Weekly build updates
- Automated test suite
- Code review and quality checks
Launch
Week 10–12We handle go-live end to end: production deployment, DNS cutover, SSL configuration, performance verification, and monitoring setup. For web projects, we confirm Core Web Vitals scores and SEO configuration before cutting over. For software projects, we run final UAT with your team before flipping the switch.
Deliverables
- Production deployment
- DNS and SSL configuration
- Monitoring and alerting setup
- Staff training and CMS handover
- Launch checklist sign-off
Support & grow
OngoingLaunch isn't the finish line — it's the starting line. We offer post-launch support retainers covering bug fixes, content updates, performance monitoring, and feature additions. Many clients start on project-based engagements and move to a monthly retainer once they've seen how we work.
Deliverables
- Post-launch monitoring period
- Bug fix guarantee window
- Documentation and handover materials
- Optional ongoing retainer
Ready to start?
Tell us about your project. We'll walk you through discovery and give you a fixed-price proposal before any work begins.