interrogative the questions you ask
and the questions people ask before they write theirs?
Thirteen of them, answered from what we actually do. If yours is not here, write to us: the answer comes from a person within two working days.
before you write
Do we need to know exactly what we want before we get in touch?
No. One sentence about what has to happen out where the work is, is enough to start. Working out the rest is what our questions, and then discovery, are for.
What kind of business do you build for?
Micro and small businesses across the UK, from a single owner to around fifty people, whose work happens away from a desk: in workshops, on farms, in vans, in other people’s buildings or behind a counter. At the domestic end of the trade, small single-purpose tools for people at home.
When is anything agreed?
Only when both sides agree a written scope. Sending a brief, opening a client room or answering our questions agrees nothing. The scope says what is in and out, what done means and how long it should take, and our engagement terms apply to it.
Can we meet in person?
Yes, by arrangement. The work is done remotely, and a meeting in London is agreed by email first. The registered office is in a serviced building with no reception for callers, so please do not just drop in.
during the work
Will the app keep working where there is no signal?
That is how we build them. Everything entered is saved on the phone at once, changes wait in a queue while there is no signal and pass themselves on when it comes back, and the rule for two people changing the same job apart is agreed during discovery.
Which phones will it run on?
Both of the main phone platforms, from one shared codebase. We test on old, low-end phones as well as new ones, because that is often what is in a van or on a site.
How long does it take?
It depends on the sentence, which is why there is no number on this site. Discovery ends with a written scope that includes the time we expect, and after every slice you have working software in your hands, so you never wait until the end to see anything.
How do we see where things are?
Each slice ends with a demonstration, and the latest build runs on your own phone. A brief filed in your client room shows which of the eight stages it has reached, and you can leave notes on it at every stage.
after handover
Do we own the code?
Yes. Its copyright is assigned to you, the repository moves into your account with its history, the app is published under your developer account, and every password and key is rotated so that none of ours works. Another studio, or your own staff, can carry on without asking us.
What happens when support ends?
Support runs for a term named in the scope. If it is going to end, you hear at least a year before. Software that is retired goes with notice, an export of its data and a plan for its listing.
Are you certified for accessibility or security?
No, and we do not claim to be. We design and test to WCAG 2.2 level AA, align our mobile security checks with OWASP MASVS and follow the Software Security Code of Practice, but we hold no certificate of any kind. Our standards page says exactly what each of those means.
about this site
What do you keep about me, and can I have a copy?
Only what you send us, set out item by item in the data we hold. If you have a client room, its Download my data button gives you everything held about it, at once, whenever you like; for anything else, write to us.
How do I report a security problem?
Email contact@vistarasoftware.site with a subject line that starts “Security”. Our security disclosure policy says what is in scope, how to test in good faith and what we commit to.