In planning the UI, we figure out who your users are, what they'll be doing and how your business requirements fit in. From there we start applying goal directed methodologies to design UI prototypes that not only meet your goals but provide a rich user experience in the process. Usability testing may be included in the process to be sure the design is on the right track.
You wouldn't send out product brochures or other marketing materials unless they were properly designed. Your software is the same; For websites and commercial class software, you need professional design to put across the right message about your company. For internal applications designed to streamline a business process, proper design is essential to increase productivity while decreasing the time required to do so. We customize the design process to fit your needs, but there are always three phases: Discovery, Design and Delivery.
The goal in designing business applications is to help people get a job done in a more efficient manner; it's fine if they never notice the UI itself.
The design process
1. Overview
2. Discovery phase
3. Design phase
4. Delivery phase