About

Software engineering from the inside out

ERDesigns is an independent software engineering practice founded by Ernst Reidinga, focused on building complete software products and the technology behind them.

The work spans native desktop applications, high-performance C++ engines, document processing, TypeScript tooling, compilers and runtimes, cloud services, and embedded systems.

Rather than treating these as separate disciplines, ERDesigns approaches software as a complete system — from memory management, file formats and execution models to APIs, user interfaces, deployment and the final user experience.

What we build

Native Applications

Native Windows applications built for performance, reliability and a first-class desktop experience.

ERD-Playlist Studio, built in Delphi, is one example: a complete IPTV playlist and media application combining playlist management, provider integration, TV guide, playback, recording, downloads, casting, automation and media libraries in a single native application.

Document Processing & Reporting

High-performance document technology built from the ground up in C++.

ERD Document Ingestion reads and interprets document formats through a common intermediate representation, while retaining access to format-specific structures when required.

ERD Reporting takes the complementary direction: structured data and report definitions become PDF, DOCX, images and printer-native label formats. Its embeddable visual designer is built in TypeScript.

Designed to Run Lean

These engines are designed not only for performance, but also for operational efficiency. Their SaaS deployments can run on inexpensive, conventional web hosting rather than requiring large application servers, complex cloud infrastructure or a collection of external services.

By keeping the native engines small, fast and largely self-contained, ERDesigns can provide document processing and reporting with substantially less infrastructure and fewer moving parts. This reduces hosting costs, simplifies deployment and maintenance, and keeps resource consumption low.

For ERDesigns, efficient software is also part of sustainable software engineering: doing more useful work with less compute, memory and infrastructure instead of compensating for inefficient software by adding more servers.

Runtimes & Developer Tooling

ERD-TSVM is a self-hosted TypeScript compiler, bytecode virtual machine, C++ runtime, debugger and development toolchain.

It is designed to bring the TypeScript development model to environments ranging from desktop and WebAssembly to Linux and constrained embedded devices such as the ESP32.

You can test TSVM right now in the online playground where you can compile, disassemble and run examples directly in the browser!

Embedded & Systems Engineering

ERDesigns also works close to the hardware: embedded systems, communication protocols, industrial integrations, networking, device interfaces and resource-constrained software.

The same engineering principles apply whether the target is a Windows workstation, cloud service, Raspberry Pi or microcontroller.

Philosophy

Build complete systems. Understand the layers underneath them. Keep dependencies intentional and behaviour predictable.

ERDesigns favours software that is efficient, transparent and maintainable over unnecessary abstraction or complexity. Core technology is often built in-house when doing so provides meaningful control over performance, portability or behaviour.

A product is also more than its core implementation. Testing, documentation, tooling, installers, updates, deployment and operational reliability are treated as part of the engineering work rather than afterthoughts.

The goal is simple: build technology that is technically sound, understandable from end to end, and ultimately useful to the people who depend on it.