DreamWalk App Development

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a mobile app called Bridget, which provides beauty-on-demand services. It connects professionals from the beauty and health industry with customers in an Uber-like fashion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DreamWalk?

A business opportunity was clearly identified in the beauty and health industry, so my business partner and I decided to fill the gap. We needed to find the right developer for the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DreamWalk built my app for iOS and Android. There is a web backend through which we can access and modify all app data, including how much we are earning. We can add or block providers, check customers, and so on.

My business partner is a designer, so he handled that part. DreamWalk corrected it for the implementation.

There are 2 types of users on the app: providers or professionals (hairdressers, masseurs, or stylists) and customers. As a customer, I can find a provider within my location, select the type of service required, and see a list of options with distances. Clicking on a name will access a provider’s portfolio, history, availability, price, and reviews. Bookings and payments are done through the app; we are using Stripe for payments, and take a percentage of each transaction.

DreamWalk also provided consultation on how to advertise the app through social media. We were aware of this area, but they helped as well.

How did you come to work with DreamWalk?

A friend recommended them to me. I asked for a screen design sample and received an answer straight away.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took 8 months to be completed. We’re still working with DreamWalk on a new version of the app which will be released in 2–3 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We have around 200 users and 20 providers on the platform. At the moment, we are still recruiting professionals, and customers are aware that there isn’t a big enough pool at the moment. We want to reach between 35–50 providers in order to properly launch the app.

How did DreamWalk perform from a project management standpoint?

It was easy to communicate with them and they were responsive. There was nothing particular about the project management. The delivery was a bit late, but the quality was there.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sam Russell, their CEO, is really impressive. He's knowledgeable of new technologies and of how to develop apps. We’re using a new technology called the Phoenix Framework, which can speed up the app and allow us to have more users.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; they performed well. We’re adding more features, and, like any app, there will be some bugs, but we had relatively few.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work in the travel division of a publishing house. My division publishes travel guides and travel memoirs. We also run a travel website and publish travel apps.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am an editor in this division. I manage projects for books, apps, and website productions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with DreamWalk?

We were trying to turn one of our most successful print products into an app. We were trying to convert what is a highly successful and expensive guide into a simplified app that would do well in a marketplace, where you can't charge people as much. It was quite an interesting challenge.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We approached DreamWalk with a comprehensive brief, so we had the concept for the iOS app that we wanted to develop. They took those concepts to design the app. They created all the wireframes necessary and build the app from end-to-end. They managed the construction of the app itself, and then we took over once it launched.

How did you come to work with DreamWalk?

They were recommended to us. We approached them with our concept, and DreamWalk seemed to be a good fit.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of the project was $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The app was launched in September 2013. Our collaboration with DreamWalk is ongoing. They host our app on their servers. They also do some maintenance work on the app as necessary.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We ran a quite successful marketing campaign in the first month of launch. Within the first couple of weeks of the app being on the market, it was downloaded 8,000 times, which we were very happy with, and it was in the top 10 on the Australian iTunes App Store. We had a few initial problems with the app but, in terms of downloads, it has been very successful.

How did DreamWalk perform from a project management standpoint?

DreamWalk did a very good job of hitting deadlines. That was excellent. As a whole, we were very satisfied with the product that they came back with, and the fact that it came actually ahead of schedule. It was also done pretty much to our budget, so that was all a success.

What distinguishes DreamWalk from other providers?

The best part of working with DreamWalk is that they are quite a small team. They were very accessible, and they didn't try to hide anything from us. If we wanted to talk with a developer or sit with the team and actually know what they were working on, they were open about allowing us access to that process. That was great to see. They were an incredibly friendly team to work with. We are very happy with them.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

I think there could have been a better communication in terms of the process of the app going forward. Because this was our first big app as a publishing company, we didn't really anticipate that it would be a continual upgrading process. We didn't really understand that there would always be iOS upgrades that we would continually have to work on with the app. We didn't really anticipate that it would be such a continual maintenance issue. I think it would have been better if that had been conveyed more openly in the process. However, in terms of the actual project itself, everything ran super smoothly. It's more the future proofing of the app that I think we both could have done better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our organization is the State Library Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. We keep a documentary heritage collection of Victoria.

What is your position?

I am the digital initiative manager. I am the technology lead of the library.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with DreamWalk?

We wanted to create a platform that would catalog and map our content and pictures onto the street grid of Melbourne so that people could actually walk around Melbourne and view the historical content on their phones. We contracted DreamWalk to develop a mobile application for us. We've just done a second app, which is a copy of the first one with different content.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

DreamWalk developed two app for us. We came to them with the initial concept of the first app, and we asked the DreamWalk team to think it over and let us know their ideas. They came up with the full design of the app and developed it from there. We worked with them just in review and maintaining our style guidelines. The content was all developed at the state library, but they helped us transfer it to the software. They also helped train our administrative on how to use the app. The DreamWalk team did some testing on their end, and we did intensive testing on our end. There was a good feedback mechanism and review processes to make sure that it was meeting our requirements. They later built a second app for us, using the same concept, but different content.

How did you come to work with DreamWalk?

The decision was based on the success that DreamWalk had in terms of app development. An app that they had developed had been trending at the time we were looking for a developer. They were very qualified for the project. That's why we partnered with DreamWalk.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of first app was $50,000. The cost of the second one was $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

It's ongoing. We will plan to do more as our funding increases. We're very happy with what they've done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The first app had slightly less than 6,000 downloads. That's very high for a cultural institution. It's very successful. The second one isn't live yet.

What distinguishes DreamWalk from other providers?

We were satisfied, and we'll work with DreamWalk again. DreamWalk is very innovative, creative, and pragmatic in terms of making sure our requirements are met.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It's best to have a face-to-face meeting with them. They're lovely guys. It's worth the face-to-face to make sure you've got the same things in mind. You don't need to do that all the time – just as a kickoff.

Are there areas in which they could improve?

I really can't think of anything. They run things informally. I'm used to formal structures, but it didn't present any problems. When we signed up with them, we had an extensive agreement. They were good at following up with it. It is a great partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our organization is Holmesglen. We are a vocational and higher education provider in Australia. We deliver short courses, certificates, and diplomas across Australia.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I look after the marketing and business development of the short courses department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with DreamWalk?

We noticed that a lot of our website traffic was coming from mobile devices, and our website was not designed for mobile devices at the time. We wanted to explore the option of developing a native application that allows students to enroll to our courses. There weren't any apps that I was aware of at the time that would allow students to search for courses through mobile. There seemed to be a big difference between us and other providers, and we wanted to service those customers through mobile.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

DreamWalk was in charge of developing an iOS app for us. We gave them a very rough architecture of what we wanted the app to achieve from the welcome screen to the last point of payment. They tried to improve on the process. They gave us concept boards on how the app would look. They took care of the development, hosting, testing, preflight releases, and the submission and approval in the app store. They were very good at trying to customize what we wanted.

What was your process for selecting DreamWalk?

We went out to see different providers. DreamWalk came in to discuss the idea with us in our offices. They presented a general concept on how it would work. They sold the idea to other senior managers. The education space is tricky to work in. It's not as open to change. DreamWalk was able to work with our constraints. Nobody else came out and did the things that DreamWalk did, so we decided to partner with DreamWalk.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The cost of the project is confidential.

When was the work completed?

We had one app to set up to pull information from a database that we had that was then replaced. We had to get the app reconfigured to pull information from another database. We had to develop two apps. The second app launched in January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

The results from the first app DreamWalk developed were very good. We had higher-than-expected downloads. We were making money on the revenue generated from the app. People were happy using the app. We had good feedback, and we could see the app generating business.

What differentiates DreamWalk from other partners?

They were quite small in the beginning. It was two brothers that started it, and they had a small design team. It felt like their attention to detail was a little better then. Now, they blend in with other developers. Everybody does the same thing, so it's hard to find someone who can do really exceptional work. If I were going to engage now I probably wouldn't engage with DreamWalk. I probably would go with somebody that was more responsive.

Is there any area upon which you think they could improve?

I suppose the designs they put forward—as good as they were—didn't have many variations. They submitted one design and stuck to it. They what we asked and didn't suggest anything. It would have been nice to have the UI [user interface] guys suggest improvements. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of an in-home service provider app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DreamWalk?

We needed an app prototype developed.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to further develop the list of functionality for the minimal viable product (MVP). We wanted the develop the concept and design for the prototype.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed the top app developers in Melbourne based on our selection criteria. We felt that Dreamwalk did the best; they were the most honest about the project.

Describe the project in detail.

Dreamwalk designed and built the app for the MVP.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of two teammates who led us through the design and selection process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have a nonfunctional prototype that now allows us to demonstrate the app to investors and potential users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The engagement was very good and effective. There were many ideas presented and we thought them through collectively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their approach to the design was impressive. They were fully engaged and invested in the work at all times; they didn’t treat the project like just another number.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would have liked to see more screens in the prototype, but we understand there were a lot of screens in the app and it’s a balance.