From an idea in a text message to a consumer platform in production
Enthusiasts of a niche hobby had no place to discover, rate and compare products. From a first message, through a prototype, to an app for real users.
- Sector
- Consumer apps
- Solution
- Consumer platform as an installable web app
- Built on
- Next.js, Vercel
- Collaboration
- Prototype, design, build, hosting and development
Does this exist yet? No. Can we build it?
A customer without a software team of their own saw a gap in the market: enthusiasts of his hobby had forums, recipes and calendars, but no place to discover, rate and compare products and keep track of what they had already tried. The idea arrived as a short message with one question: does this already exist?
Instead of writing a proposal for a complete platform straight away, we first built a working prototype. It let the customer show the idea to people, sharpen the name and positioning and see what users actually do. The prototype proved the concept.
It was not fit for real users. Storage and login were tied to the platform the prototype was built in, there was no way to install the app on a phone and the basis for privacy and data protection was missing. The question became: how do we take this safely to production, with a launch date in sight?
The production version did not start from zero. What the prototype had already proven came along.
An installable web app, built on what the prototype had already proven
For this platform we deliberately chose a light web stack that suits a consumer product in its starting phase, with a migration path to our .NET stack as the platform grows. The data model and screens from the prototype came along, the foundation underneath is new.
Discover, rate and keep track
Search and filter products and brands, check in with a photo and a rating. Plus a personal overview with statistics and badges for what you have tried.
Community
Following, a feed of what others are trying, a wish list and a report button with moderation, so the community keeps itself clean.
Installable without app stores
An app that installs on any phone, with camera upload and offline use. No waiting time or dependence on app stores at launch.
Privacy and ownership sorted
Data in Europe, users who manage and delete their own account and photos that are cleaned up before they go online. Code and data are in the customer's name.
Design and starting content
A design round on the customer's branding and a starting catalogue that we import, so the platform is filled at launch.
A launched platform instead of an idea
Idea tested before anything was built
The prototype put a working product in the customer's hands to sharpen market, name and launch before investing in the production version.
No rebuild from scratch
What worked in the prototype went to production. Only what was not production-ready was remade.
Ownership with the customer
The dependence on the prototype platform is gone. Code, data and accounts belong to the customer.
Ready for growth
Multilingual support and a migration path to our .NET stack are part of the set-up, so growth does not require a rebuild.
Developing further in modules
Hosting, updates, monitoring and support run through a monthly contract with room for further development. New parts are added in consultation: an admin screen and the option to submit products, more extensive reviews, an events calendar and notifications. A native app is a separate decision, once usage calls for it.
A process outgrowing its spreadsheets too?
Tell us where it hurts, and we will tell you how we would approach it.
Book an intro callCurious what this means for your business?
A first conversation. You tell us where it hurts, we tell you how we would approach it.