About Us
About Us
Old-fashioned service for modern technology. We’re a small Cornish studio bringing a
no-nonsense approach to software development.
We’re a two-person team (plus our ever-present AI co-workers, of course) based in North Cornwall.
In our opinion, tech has got a bit over-hyped and, frankly, a bit full of itself. There’s a lot of scaremongering and (dare we say it) pretentiousness floating around the industry.
So we try not to be like that. Our aim is to bring the kind of customer service you’d expect from a local business on the high street, somewhere between the butcher’s and the baker’s, to the world of software development.
Our clients range from individuals with brilliant ideas but little tech experience, right through to VC-backed startups with decades in the industry. We work with them all the same way: offering clear explanations over patronisation, and adding a bit of humour along the way.
While the world seems to be losing its mind over AI and the monumental shifts it may bring to jobs, politics, and life in general, we’re the agency happily using it to create a digital seagull that’ll nick your digital chips.
That said, our approach to software development is no-nonsense. We’ll keep you up to date with what we’re doing and why, explain your options clearly, and recommend tech stacks that make sense for your project. What we won’t do is waste your time with endless reports and paperwork. We’d rather get on with the work and ping you brief updates when they’re needed, or whenever you ask.
If that sounds like your cup of tea, then give us a shout and we can get the ball rolling on your next project!
Who we are
Dr Ilse Daly - Founder
I'm the founder of Blackdog Applications, as well as the main app developer. I'm the one who writes the code and handles the UX (user experience) design.
My route into app development is a little unconventional... I originally studied Physics at Imperial College London before heading to the University of Bristol for a PhD in Bioscience. My thesis project was to investigate eye movements of mantis shrimp - those little "alien lobsters" with the famously* weird and wonderful eyes. It involved a lot of underwater 3D tracking, a bit of computer vision, and far too much time trying to persuade cameras, computers and shrimp to all behave themselves!
I also had a side-hustle running posture clinics for horse riders. This work eventually lead to me developing my first app - the Blackdog Equestrian App - a markerless, on-device machine learning app that helped riders improve their position. I sold this app in 2023 to a company in Sweden, which is when I setup Blackdog Applications.
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Designing, developing, and selling the app, first to customers and eventually to another company, gave me a proper, hands-on education in the full lifecycle of a product. I made mistakes (who doesn’t?), but I also learned a huge amount - not just about building apps, but about everything that goes into getting them into people’s hands. Things like marketing, branding, and design turned out to be just as important as the tech itself (who knew!).
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These days, I focus on creating tech that’s practical, a little bit playful, and designed to solve real problems for real people - whether that’s through a slick mobile app, an AI-driven tool, or something a bit more off-the-wall like a digital seagull nicking chips.
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*famous in some circles... very, very nerdy circles
Hannah Gittoes - UI Designer & 3D Artist
I look after the visual side of things at Blackdog - mainly UI design and 3D rendering. Before joining Blackdog, I worked freelance as a designer and 3D artist, helping all sorts of clients turn their ideas into polished, eye-catching visuals.
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These days, I make sure our apps and digital products don’t just work well, but look good too - designing clean, considered user interfaces and creating high-end 3D renders for things like configurators and AR demos (I'm very proud of the seagull).
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I’m also the one who reminds Ilse (nicely) that “close enough” isn’t actually close enough when it comes to alignment, or that she's made a typo ("fatwork" instead of "flatwork" was a good one).
Why Cornwall? (bit rude, but let's be honest, you're probably wondering)
While Cornwall isn't exactly Silicon Valley (as if I need reminding after the 3749th straight day of rain), the tech scene here is thriving and growing. Initiatives led by Tech Cornwall, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Good Growth Fund and the Growth Hub are all helping to raise the profile of the Cornish tech sector.
Being based here gives us space to think, space to create, and, crucially, the chance to work with people and companies all over the world while still being able to nip down to the beach on a good* day.
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We’re proud to be a Cornish business with a global outlook — and we think the work we produce reflects a little of both: practical, considered, and not afraid to do things a bit differently.
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So if you want to work with a Cornish app developer, give us a shout!
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​​*meaning not absolutely tipping it down