A Web Development Workflow That Truly Works
Small design firms like ours juggle a lot: managing clients, handling sales, writing proposals, taking calls, billing, marketing, content creation — and somewhere in between, squeezing in the actual design and development work that pays the bills!
At NXTWAT, a leading web development company in Bangalore and web design company in Bangalore, we’ve learned that the secret to efficiency isn’t working harder…it’s standardizing smarter.
Trying to support every platform, device, and workflow only creates chaos. That’s why we standardized our tools, technologies, and processes. For instance, we’re an all-Apple studio, which means fewer hardware and software conflicts. But for web development itself, it took us a while to find our footing.
A year ago, we were supporting Textpattern for some clients, WordPress for others, old custom systems, abandoned platforms, and even one-off legacy code from other agencies. The result?
A constant learning curve, unnecessary overhead, and re-learning work we did months earlier. Starting from scratch every time was slowing us down — and hurting profitability.
So… what’s the solution?
Standardizing the NXTWAT Way
Over time, we consciously (and sometimes unconsciously) began standardizing our development stack. Today, this workflow helps us deliver consistent, high-quality results as a website development company in Bangalore trusted by startups, SMEs, and enterprises.
Below is the refined and unified tech stack we rely on:
1. ExpressionEngine (CMS)
Our love for ExpressionEngine began early. It’s flexible, powerful, secure, and supported by a vibrant community with excellent third-party add-ons. Whether it’s a simple blog or a large-scale content-heavy website, EE lets us build anything — quickly and cleanly.
We use ExpressionEngine for any client website that needs a powerful CMS because:
- It’s endlessly customizable
- It’s well-maintained by industry experts
- It scales beautifully for long-term growth
If you’re new to EE, explore:
• Veerle Pieters’s EE articles
• Boyink’s tutorials
• ExpressionEngine documentation
2. CodeIgniter (Server-Side Framework)
CodeIgniter is a lightweight, elegant PHP framework spun out of ExpressionEngine — much like Rails emerged from Basecamp.
Why we love it at NXTWAT:
- It promotes clean MVC architecture
- Minimizes repetitive code
- Lets us reuse common elements
- Speeds up delivery by focusing on the unique 20% of each project
CodeIgniter may be lightweight, but for custom PHP applications, it’s fast, structured, and highly efficient.
3. jQuery (Client-Side Magic)
Nothing beats jQuery when it comes to simplifying JavaScript and making front-end interactions fluid.
It reduces long DOM scripts into clear, readable, tiny snippets.
One of our simple production scripts:
$(function(){
$(“a[rel~=’external’]”).click(function(){
window.open($(this).attr(‘href’));
});
});
jQuery helps us build responsive, interactive websites quickly — keeping development smooth and modern.
4. Project Management with Basecamp + Campfire
Great work needs great coordination.
We rely on Basecamp to manage projects, timelines, to-dos, communication, and client collaboration. It’s polished, reliable, and loved by our clients.
For real-time teamwork, Campfire completes the workflow — especially when our team works remotely.
5. Desktop & Development Tools We Use
Coda
Our preferred all-in-one development environment.
While still evolving, it’s fast, intuitive, and reduces the need to switch between multiple apps.
Transmit
The best FTP app. Clean, stable, and beautifully designed.
CocoaMySQL
A simple yet effective MySQL management tool for local and remote databases.
MAMP
One-click local development setup with Apache, MySQL, and PHP — perfect for testing complex builds before pushing live.
Firebug (Firefox)
Still unmatched for quick CSS debugging, DOM inspection, and real-time tweaks.
What’s Next for Us
We’re constantly innovating. As a growing website design company in Bangalore and website development company in Bangalore, we explore emerging technologies — from Ruby on Rails to modern JavaScript frameworks.
But for now, ExpressionEngine + CodeIgniter + jQuery remains our reliable, efficient combo.
They help us deliver top-tier digital solutions without unnecessary complexity.
If these tools get any better, we might automate ourselves completely! 😉
