About the project
Mobile app with tips on interesting tourist destinations and a reward system
Xplór is a tourist guide that will take you to all the known and unknown corners of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The detailed treatment of individual destinations is complemented by a user section where you can add places you have visited or places you plan to visit. The reward and motivation are collector coins, the so-called Xplors.
Client
Xplór s.r.o.
Business area
Tourism
Application and system functions
more than 700 detailed tourist destinations- sophisticated destination search, sorted into categories
- "Where to go" function with tips for trips according to the user's existing priorities
- User and community sections for sharing trips and related experiences
- clear map with destinations close to the device
- Easy export to third-party navigation systems
Entry
The Xplór team approached us with a request to maintain the mobile app and add new features to improve the user experience.
Xplór is one of the projects we took over from the previous developer. Our job is to update the app and program new features that will take the app to the next level.
Technologies and services
Technologies
React Native
Expo
Swift
Java
Ruby on Rails
Services
Mobile application development
Backend management
Duration of the project
8 months
Team
2 mobile app developers, backend developer, UI/UX designer, QA engineer, project manager, 2 mobile app developers.
Xplór mobile app redesign in 8 steps
When taking over a product from another vendor, you always run the risk of spending a lot of your allotted project time understanding or modifying existing code. Nevertheless, we took on the challenge and managed to get the whole system right and extend it further in record time.
- Our software experts analyzed the existing project, navigated the code and suggested the first necessary modifications.
- We conducted market research and target group analysis. Based on this, we prepared an outline of the likely user flow through the application.
- From this we came up with the necessary user interface modifications. So we created a new UX design concept for this mobile app and presented this to the client.
- After the client's approval, we started working on a more modern customized UI design.
- We assembled a backend and frontend programming team who got right to work.
- In each phase of agile development, we gradually added new graphical elements and functionality and then consulted the deliverables with the client.
- We tested the new version of the app to better optimize it for different devices, operating system versions and display diagonals.
- As a final step, we uploaded the updated version of the app to the App Store and Google Play.
We continue to manage the application and participate in its expansion and improvements.
Solution detail
Despite the fact that we didn't start from scratch with the development of the Xplór mobile app, we stuck to the standard we have established at Rascasone.
The beginning of the work on building this digital product was marked by a series of consultations with the client, where he shared with us his vision, plan and strategies for the coming months and years.
This was followed by an analysis of the current version of the application, which was undertaken by two of our software experts. They then wrote down the requirements for development and necessary corrections or improvements. In these requirements, the development plan already started to take shape.
We prioritized activities related to individual elements of the mobile application and added estimates on the time or financial intensity of related tasks. We then presented these documents to the client, who agreed on them, and we were able to start preparing the design.
The app consists of two products - a mobile app and a web app. Therefore, we created two teams that cooperated with each other to keep the design and functionality of the app consistent across all platforms.
After the UX and UI design of both types of applications, the most crucial part of application development came next, namely programming.
The output is a web application whose backend is handled by the Ruby on Rails javascript framework and a mobile application written using the React Native library.
We have created a clearer and more detailed environment for the details of individual tips for trips or tourist destinations. We have also improved the user section that allows tourists and trippers to save and share destinations they have visited or planned. Based on the places visited, everyone then gets tips on other interesting places that should not be overlooked.
The core of the application has also been significantly improved - the map showing destinations, which is now not only clearer and more accurate, but also allows you to export data to other navigation applications.
