In today’s increasingly complex world of connected devices, the way we develop embedded software and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) is rapidly evolving. Device makers are shifting from simple MCU-based products to more sophisticated MPU-powered systems. This shift brings powerful capabilities — connectivity, advanced user interfaces, cloud integration — but also new challenges. One of the biggest? Collaboration.
At Witekio, we’ve seen first-hand that successful product development requires deep alignment between hardware and software teams, between designers and developers, and across both front-end and back-end domains. Without this alignment, projects risk missing deadlines, overshooting budgets, or failing to deliver the features customers expect.
Here’s why hardware-software collaboration is essential — and how to do it right.
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The Complexity Behind the Screen
When people think of HMIs, they often imagine only the user interface: the touchscreen, the beautiful graphics, the animations. But in reality, the UI is just the tip of the iceberg.
Behind every interactive screen lies:
- Embedded operating systems and BSPs
- Connectivity stacks (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cloud)
- Backend logic and device control
- Real-time data processing
- Security, compliance, and update mechanisms
All of these components need to work together seamlessly for a device to function reliably. And critically, they must evolve together throughout the product lifecycle — from design and development through industrialization, deployment, and long-term maintenance.
The mistake many device makers make is to separate these domains into silos: one team for hardware, one for backend, one for frontend. But hardware-software integration is where complexity explodes — and where collaboration becomes a strategic advantage.
Agility Is a Must — But Not One-Size-Fits-All
To manage this complexity, Witekio relies on agile development models. But we don’t treat agility as a rigid methodology. Instead, we adapt agile practices depending on the project, the customer, and the product maturity.
For example:
- Scrum by-the-book works for mature organizations who already apply agile internally.
- Exploratory Agile fits innovation and R&D projects where requirements evolve as features are discovered.
- Lean or Kanban models support smaller teams where full agile ceremonies may not be necessary.
- Disciplined Agile (Witekio’s “Maestro” approach) helps reconcile regulatory gates, hardware manufacturing timelines, and strict time-to-market constraints, while keeping iterative flexibility.
The goal is always the same: ensure constant prioritization, manage risks early, and give both Witekio and our customers the flexibility to respond to change — without losing sight of deadlines or budgets.
Designers and Developers Must Speak the Same Language
One of the most common friction points in complex product development is the handoff between design and engineering teams.
Traditionally, designers work in tools like Figma or Photoshop and hand over static assets. Developers then translate these into code — a process that often introduces gaps, mismatches, and time-consuming back-and-forth.
A better approach is real-time collaboration, where both sides work in compatible environments from the start. This often means adopting frameworks and workflows that allow parallel development and shared standards, minimizing translation layers.
At Witekio, we support this collaboration in practice using tools like:
- Qt/QML and Slint, which allow designers to build and tweak UIs while backend developers work in parallel using clearly defined APIs.
- Flutter, when targeting embedded Linux or Android-based platforms, thanks to its cross-functional capabilities for front- and back-end integration.
- Custom MVP architecture with mock APIs, enabling teams to test UI responsiveness and layout early, even before full backend functionality is implemented.
This approach helps teams:
- Share and reuse assets across disciplines
- Prototype directly on embedded hardware
- Define and enforce API contracts between frontend and backend early
- Use mock data to validate UX and backend assumptions without blocking progress
- While frontend and backend timelines don’t always align — especially when waiting on low-level features or hardware availability — Witekio often creates mock interfaces and simulation layers to allow parallel development and testing where possible.
We’ve applied this methodology in various industries, including medical, industrial, and consumer electronics, to help customers accelerate HMI development while the embedded stack and hardware catch up. This collaborative and iterative model improves integration quality and reduces the risk of surprises late in the product cycle.
Don’t Underestimate the Backend
As HMIs get richer, backend complexity grows exponentially. In many projects Witekio supports, two-thirds of total development effort happens on the backend side.
Backend teams must handle:
- Communication with hardware peripherals
- Motor and actuator control
- Cloud synchronization
- Security management
- OTA updates and device lifecycle management
The user experience may live on the touchscreen, but product success depends on robust backend integration. That’s why collaboration between frontend and backend engineers is so critical — and why both teams must understand each other’s constraints and timelines.
Frameworks Help Build Consistency
One of the ways Witekio enables efficient collaboration across teams is by recommending robust, industrial-grade frameworks that structure development from the start.
These frameworks:
- Provide well-documented and version-controlled APIs, which allow frontend and backend teams to develop in parallel — even when hardware or drivers are still under development.
- Enable consistent architecture across front-end and back-end
- Offer proven toolchains for design, development, and testing
- Help enforce best practices and security standards
- Simplify long-term maintenance for product lines
By separating interface from implementation — for example, by mocking API responses while backend development is underway — teams avoid costly bottlenecks and can keep UI and UX iterations moving forward. This is especially valuable in projects where hardware access is delayed or backend logic is complex.
By building on these frameworks, rather than scattered libraries or ad hoc tools, development becomes faster, more scalable, and better aligned across disciplines.
Test Early, Test Often — And Automate
Agility without quality is dangerous. With every sprint delivering new iterations, automated testing becomes mandatory to maintain stability.
From the earliest stages, UI components, backend logic, and system-level interactions should be tested continuously. At Witekio, we integrate automated testing pipelines directly into our agile workflows, ensuring that:
- Each sprint delivers stable, functional builds
- Regression risks are minimized as features evolve
- Bugs are caught early — not late in industrialization
This enables our customers to move fast without sacrificing product quality or risking last-minute surprises before release.
Conclusion: Collaboration Is No Longer Optional
As embedded products evolve into full digital systems, the old separation between hardware and software, design and development, is no longer sustainable.
Success today depends on:
✅ Cross-functional teams working together early
✅ Shared frameworks and toolchains that minimize friction
✅ Agile processes tailored to real-world product constraints
✅ Continuous testing embedded in development cycles
✅ Deep integration of back-end and front-end teams
At Witekio, our role is not just writing software — it’s helping our customers organize their development processes for long-term success.
Because great products are not just great designs or great code — they are the result of great collaboration.
