Development
Desktop appdevelopment
Overview
Cross-platform desktop applications
Windows, macOS and Linux from one codebase — with file access, offline use and installers that belong on a desktop.
01
Native-like experience
Menus, file access, hardware and offline use — it should feel like a desktop app, not a browser window.
02
Cross-platform
Windows, macOS and Linux from one codebase, so you are not maintaining three products.
03
Faster to ship
React, Next.js and Electron let us reuse web skills without giving up desktop capabilities.
04
Installers and updates
Signed packages and auto-update so users are not chasing a ZIP every quarter.
Services
What we build
01
Business applications
Internal tools for analysis, reporting and admin that still work when the network does not.02
Content tools
Editors, media managers and creation tools that need more than a browser tab.03
Data management
Local databases, sync and offline-first workflows for teams who cannot live in the cloud alone.04
System utilities
Monitoring, automation and maintenance tools that sit next to the operating system.05
Web-to-desktop
Wrap or extend an existing web app with file access, offline mode and a proper installer.06
Secure applications
Encryption, locked-down data handling and secure communications for sensitive work.
Process
How a project runs
01
Discovery & planning
We map platform needs, installers and the features that actually require the desktop.02
UI / UX design
Interfaces that follow each OS closely enough to feel native, without becoming three designs.03
Core development
Top-tier engineers build the product in React with Electron, using AI tools to move faster, then review.04
Native integration
File system, hardware, notifications and whatever else the brief actually needs from the OS.05
Testing
Checked on Windows, macOS and Linux for performance, memory and the installers themselves.06
Packaging & updates
Platform installers, auto-update, and store submissions where they make sense.
Why us
Why build the desktop app with Broadbent Digital?
A UK digital studio for websites, web apps and software — built by top-tier engineers who also run the infrastructure behind them.
01
Top-tier engineers
Work is led by senior UK engineers — not a junior production line or an offshore template mill.
02
AI-enhanced delivery
We use AI tools to move faster, then review and ship to the same quality bar we have always held.
03
Same group, same stack
The sites we build can sit on our own hosting, in our Colchester data centre, with the same team on support.
04
Bespoke, not templates
React, Next.js and our own CMS when you need control — not a theme with the logo swapped.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Why Electron instead of a fully native app?
One codebase for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a UI we can share with a web version if you need both. If the brief is truly native-only, we will say so.
- Will it work offline?
That is one of the reasons to ship a desktop app. We design for offline-first when the product needs it, with sync when the network returns.
- Can you convert our existing web app?
Often. Electron can wrap a Next.js app and add desktop APIs. We will tell you if a dedicated shell is cleaner than forcing the current UI into a window.
- How do updates work?
Signed installers and auto-update, so users are not downloading a ZIP from an email every quarter.