The Zuse Process: Our Web App Development Process (Melbourne to Global)

One clear promise: prototype-led, sprint-paced, visually aligned delivery with speed.

Why we prototype so heavily

We don’t treat prototyping as “nice to have”. For us, prototyping is how we reduce risk early, align stakeholders faster, and make better decisions before development begins.

"Visual alignment beats long documents. There’s strong evidence that people can process and understand images extremely quickly (as little as 13 milliseconds in MIT-published research coverage), which is a big reason we communicate through clickable prototypes instead of relying on long written specs."

The prototype-led beliefs behind how we ship faster

These principles are baked into how we deliver (and they’re consistent with the kind of high-performance engineering mindset that prioritises cycle time and ruthless clarity):

• Question requirements early, because even “good” requirements can be wrong, unclear, or outdated. 
• Delete before you optimise, because polishing the wrong thing is the fastest way to waste budget. 
• Accelerate the learning cycle, because speed comes from faster feedback, not faster typing.
• Prototype to reduce risk, align stakeholders visually, and confirm the journey before build.
• “Accelerate cycle time.” 

The Zuse Process (end-to-end)

Every project is different, so each stage may include the following, depending on what you’re building.

Stage 1: Strategy and alignment

How it runs

• Stakeholder session, rapid strategy sprint.

May include

• Product vision and positioning summary
• Goals
• Success metrics
• Constraints
• Target audiences and core use cases; 
• High-level budget ranges
• Timeline approach

Good outcomes

• Everyone agrees what success is and what’s out of scope; a prioritised path to V1.

Stage 2: Research and discovery

How it runs

• Competitor review, short research interviews.

May include

• Scope boundaries and priorities
• Feature list with rationale (V1 vs later)
• User journeys and flows
• Information architecture for web or app structure for mobile
• Functional requirements in plain English
• Technical notes and integration assumptions
• Acceptance criteria outline for key flows

Good outcomes

• Clear what we are building in V1; everyone aligned before pixels and code.

Stage 3: Product design and prototype

How it runs

• Weekly prototype reviews and visual checkpoints (often in sprint-style cycles).

May include

• User flows
• Wireframes where needed
• High-fidelity UI screens
• Clickable prototype for key journeys
• Content guidance and microcopy direction
• Accessibility and usability considerations

Good outcomes

• Stakeholders can click it and understand it; changes happen in design (not in development); the prototype confirms the journey, not just screens.

Stage 4: Design system and handover

How it runs

A component library approach built alongside the screens (derived from what’s proven in the prototype).

May include

• A consistent set of UI patterns used across the prototype
• Key reusable components
• The essential interaction states that make build predictable

Good outcome

• Faster build and consistent UI.

Stage 5: Product build

How it runs

• Fixed milestones with sprint-like delivery internally.

May include

• Sprint plan and delivery schedule (so progress stays visible and decisions stay timely).

Good outcome

• Predictable momentum and visible progress.

Stage 6: Product launch

How it runs

• Full launch with monitoring and a support window.

May include

• Go-live plan and cutover steps.

Good outcome

• Clear next steps after launch.

Stage 7: Optimisation and growth

May include

• Post-launch improvements backlog
• Iteration plan
• Performance and UX improvements
• Roadmap planning for V2+

Discovery and Prototype Workshop (4 to 6 weeks)

If you’re not ready to commit to a full build yet, we also offer a focused Discovery and Prototype Workshop. It’s ideal for startups validating a new idea, and larger organisations validating a new product direction.

Core outputs may include

• Feature list prioritised for V1
• Clickable prototype for key journeys
• Delivery plan (phases and timeline range)

Optional outputs may include

• User flows and journey maps
• Wireframes before high-fidelity;
• Lightweight brand direction (moodboard and UI direction)
• Technical discovery notes (integrations, data, constraints)
• Cost estimate ranges with scope tiers (lean, standard, ambitious)

Decision it enables

• Stakeholder alignment and approval

🏆Proof: work you can explore

If you want to see what this looks like in practice, here are a few relevant case studies:

• AFL Players Moji 
  

  Featured by Apple as “New Apps We Love” and hit #1 in Australia’s App Store Sports category (including #1 paid Sports within 48 hours)

• Warnie Moji (Shane Warne)
  

  Reached #1 in the Apple App Store Sports category, driven by a fan-first emoji experience and strong app-store deployment.

• Louis Vuitton procurement platform 
  

  Enterprise digital transformation for Louis Vuitton (LVMH), delivering a scalable design system and measurable impact (including 70% faster procurement workflows and higher adoption)

   

🏆Recognition

• Best UI/UX Design & Development Agency (Australian Enterprise Awards) – winner in 2023 and 2024. 
• Top Melbourne App Development Agencies

Book a free 30-minute estimation call

If you’re planning a web app or mobile app and want clarity fast, book a free 30-minute estimation call 

What happens on the call

• Step 1 (about 10 mins): goals, what you’re building, who it’s for, outcomes and constraints.
• Step 2 (about 15 mins): quick scope scan, must-haves, risks, and the most practical path to V1.
• Step 3 (about 5 mins): we recommend the right next step (often the 4 to 6 week Discovery and Prototype Workshop) and what a sensible build plan looks like after that.