The Philosophy

Individuality

Good software is guided by many principles. Some prefer aesthetics; if it looks good, it is good. Some prefer functionality; it can do so much. Some prefer technology; it's got the new whizz-bang buzz word. All of these are important. However, just as important, and something that most people overlook, are the software users. These are the people that day in, day out sit at their desks and have to use the software to get their jobs done. Software should be a help, not a hindrance. Good software should be intuitive. It should work with the user, not against the user.

At Sprezzatura, our customers are organizations, and organizations are like people. There are many banks, medical offices and charitable companies. Some of these places do similar things, perhaps even identical things. However, in the back office, where the employees do their work, things are different. No two companies have the same process, procedures, and forms. Each one is different, and they have different needs.

Off the rack

When you purchase off the shelf software, you either work the way the software forces you to or you can spend more money to custom modifications. Sometimes you'll find these modifications aren't compatible with a new upgrade and you need to pay again to have them rewritten. Sometimes you'll find that the authors have taken the customisations you've paid for and put them into the next version. You have just paid their development costs.

That's where Sprezzatura helps companies with their data and software. By working with you from the initial design stages, we design software that works for you. The software follows your processes and business models. The screens look like your forms. The text uses your terminology. The application flows like your business flows. The software works with you, as an integral part of the organisation, not a 900lb gorilla making you do everything his way.

The Toolset

A part of good software design is knowing the right tools to use. Like the adage that to the man with only a hammer, all problems look like a nail, there is not a single solution to all software problems. There are many development tools available to design systems. Should the main application be written in C++, C#, Java, Delphi or Basic? Should the database be SQL, Oracle, MySQL, D2, Revelation, Ingress or jBase? Should my website be Droopal, jQuery, ExtJS or MooTools? Should I have ASP, PHP, Perl or Ruby?

You wouldn't dream of telling your mechanic the type of tools he should use when working on your car. You wouldn't dream of suggesting to your surgeon how she should perform surgery. You wouldn't dream of suggesting to your tailor the type of threads he should use. You shouldn't force your software developers to use specific tools either. Part of our job is to help make these decisions for you. There are many fundamental questions to software design, and knowing the right tools to use helps us design software that works exactly to your needs.

By letting us do our jobs, we help you do your job better.