Halcyon Mobile

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web and APP Coordinator of TIFF - Transilvania International Film Festival

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Open to the general public as well as industry professionals, the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), set in Cluj-Napoca - Romania, shows, throughout it's 10 days of festival, over 250 films and its programme includes cine-concerts, concerts, as well as art exhibitions and meeting opportunities between filmmakers and the Romanian audiences.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Halcyon Mobile to accomplish?

• Develop the the mobile application for the Transilvania International Film Festival

SOLUTION

How did you find Halcyon Mobile?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Halcyon Mobile over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Halcyon Mobile were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The purpose of the TIFF App is to bring the TIFF experience closer to the general public and to make it easier for anybody to browse the program, plan a schedule and to buy tickets for the different events within the festival. Throughout our collaboration, Halcyon designed and developed our new, native TIFF applications for iOS and Android. 

Post-launch they took on the maintenance and further development of the product. Some of the app’s functionalities include the option to see the festival program, browse events and screenings by day and apply filters to refine the public’s options and see all the venues of the festival in one list and tap the directions icon and get to the destination easily. 

Additionally, they implemented the direct purchase of tickets within the TIFF App and have created a digital badge so aur audience never has to worry about physical tickets. To access events, they just have to show the digital badge on the smartphone screen. Another key component of the app is the possibility to rate a film through the Audience Award tab.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• The yearly increase of tickets sold through the festival app (10 %), the number of downloads of the app (20%), and the generally positive feedback from our audience.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Halcyon Mobile has always been receptive to all our needs and has given us solutions and has implemented changes quickly for the app to be up to date, all this while delivering on time, or earlier in some cases. Our ideas have been met with great interest and, together, we figured out the best way to implement them. Moreover, Halcyon gave us new ideas to make the app more friendly and appealing to our target audience.

What was your primary form of communication with Halcyon Mobile?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to understand the project and its needs, and come up with ideas and features, along with new solutions to make the project grow year by year.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Halcyon Mobile could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a digital market research company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We had an existing web-based platform connected to a mobile app, and we wanted to redevelop that app from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon Mobile is helping us with Android and iOS mobile app development, using Flutter as their main tool. We've started by explaining the features we want to build so they can advise us on what technologies to use to develop the app. We've also told them we need a white-labeled app so that multiple customers of ours can use it.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We found Halcyon Mobile through a Google search while looking for Romanian companies. Moreover, it was important to have a partner that could understand how our web-based platform worked so that it could be integrated with the app.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we've spent around $200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Halcyon Mobile’s work, we now have a live version of the product that’s white-labeled for our customers. Moreover, we haven’t had any issues related to the app’s development, and Halcyon Mobile’s team is very responsive whenever we want to solve a problem.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Halcyon Mobile’s team has been great at meeting time-pressured deadlines and adapting to our feedback and third-party delays. Regarding communication, we use email, Slack, and weekly meetings with the product manager that Halcyon Mobile has assigned to us — they’re communicative, transparent, and keep me engaged.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Halcyon Mobile is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their area. I’m impressed by their ability to understand our requirements and our web-based platform, which connects to the app. In addition, their team is very tolerable, positive, and problem-solving oriented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve encountered technical difficulties throughout the process, so they could do more testing across different platforms.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of Engineering for an interactive kids video platform based in New York City.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Halcyon Mobile, and what were your goals?

When we initially launched our product, we focused on iOS only. After being awarded a number of accolades, like Apple's App of the Day, we received numerous requests from potential users to bring our interactive kids media experience to Android. We sought Halcyon Mobile's expertise in Android app development to develop an equally compelling experience for Android.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We conducted an exhaustive search of software vendors across North America, South America, and Europe. We produced a set of RFP materials outlining the work we needed done, and then we shared these materials with prospective partners. Halcyon Mobile provided us with an incredibly compelling proposal, highlighting their immense expertise with Android, numerous similar projects they completed, and a very reasonable budget.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had an in-depth RFP that outlined the work we needed done. We shared Figma mockups of the functionality we needed to have implemented and set up a Google Sheet to track development progress. The Halcyon Mobile team communicated with us in Slack (our preferred method of communication) as they built out an Android/Kotlin version of our app. We were excited by their willingness to try out a new UI framework that we wanted incorporated in our project.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with two of Halcyon Mobile's engineers: one senior and one junior. They were a delight to work with, communicating proactively and with care for our business and product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

In the weeks following our Android launch, we've received thousands of downloads and many positive remarks from our users. They are delighted to finally be able to experience our product on their platform of choice.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated directly with a senior engineer from Halcyon Mobile's team, and he was very impressive. We utilized primarily async communication via Slack, and we kept track of work in a Google Sheet. This flow worked extremely well for us, and we were able to launch early.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were thoroughly impressed by the team's efficiency and care. Their senior engineer in particular was on par with some of the best engineers I've worked with, and we'd never be able to hire one at a similar cost onshore.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing comes to mind at the moment. I just wish we could clone some of their engineers :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Brand Marketing at Lensa, an omnichannel eyewear retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Halcyon Mobile?

Both our app and website had an outdated look & feel and needed a design upgrade. We contracted Halcyon to focus on the UI/UX of our platforms and find a solution that was both clean and user-friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were aware of their previous design projects and amazing work quality. After having several initial discussions regarding our needs, the scope of the project and desired outcome, we hired them based on their proposed approach and budget.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The Halcyon team had a session with the Lensa team where interactive exercises based on Design Thinking were carried out in order to clarify and synthesize the company's vision and the desired design direction. Wireframes for representative functionalities were created, followed by several iterations until the final version was agreed upon. With the agreed visual direction, the design of the website and the mobile application was created, and deliverables were prepared for production and prototype.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Our team worked directly with the Head of Engineering & Product Solutions and an UX/UI Designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are extremely happy with the work the Halcyon team did, as it perfectly reflects our new brand identity. The implemented design received great feedback from our customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration with the Halcyon team was extraordinary, we were impressed with their professionalism, speed and openness. We really appreciated the fact that they were extremely responsive and especially that, although their main points of contact were members of the Lensa Marketing team, who do not have extended expertise in tech and product design, they helped us understand every step of the process and the communication was effortless. Only words of praise for the UX/UI Designer, the deliverables were above expectations.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were able to work smoothly with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external, and delivered the design we had envisioned, irrespective of the technical limitations of the platform we were already working with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Only words of praise for the Halcyon team, we will definitely work with them on future projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of DOC Learning Solutions, an educational technology (EdTech) company that has an online platform for teachers to access lesson plans and activities for kids. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We wanted to develop a mobile app version of our web platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon developed our mobile app using Flutter. One part of our components is an interactive game, so we determined that Flutter would be the best framework for the app in terms of programming language. On top of that, Halcyon already had plenty of in-house Flutter developers that were ready to rock and roll for the project. 

Meanwhile, we already had a web product, and our team started developing an app by ourselves. Contracting Halcyon was to help us finish the job. Once we started the process and they had the chance to look at the product, they made recommendations on things that we might want to consider rebuilding. 

Ultimately, we decided to scrap what we started and restart from the ground up with Halcyon. We brought in one of their UI/UX designers and worked with him for a month while redesigning the app to achieve a fresher, newer look. Then, we worked with their developer to bring that design to life. 

We have a six-month timeline, and we’re about four months into it. For features, the app’s core functionality involves lesson plans for teachers. They can access pictures, photographs, videos, and other content for activities they can do with children. Reporting features are also available, such as shared feeds where teachers can show parents what’s happening in the classroom. 

What is the team composition?

We work with their UI/UX designer, Flutter developer, and project manager.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We were referred to Halcyon by another development shop that had contracted them before. That development shop put us in touch with Halcyon resources, and that was the start of our engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested nearly $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Halcyon in June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t released the app yet, so we don’t have any internal success metrics. However, the designs we’ve seen are a huge improvement from before — the Halcyon team brought a fresh 2021 look to the entire app. Moreover, the transformation of the design into what’s coded in the frontend has also been great. Overall, the designs they’ve made have been crisp and clean. 

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Halcyon’s communication is excellent. We have constant communication in terms of billings, reports, and work. They’re highly transparent and communicative. On top of that, they have a great turnaround time. 

Further, we can call their designers to take a look at any hiccup that we run into or to change something. They’re happy to provide that service without building up billable hours, which is a huge bonus for anyone looking to hire them — revision hours are a killer. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Halcyon team has been impressive in their ability to accept the mountains of work that we throw at them. Apart from that, they have the ability to navigate their work without any issues even though we’re not always clear and concise in our requirements. Their resources are truly easy to work with, and their integration is seamless. That’s a testament to their attitude about their work — they’ve done a great job. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Halcyon could’ve pushed us a little harder to restart everything from scratch sooner after realizing they could build a more sophisticated version of the app. Other than that, they’ve done a great job of telling us what they can and cannot do with their billable hours. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Halcyon isn’t forceful. They do give recommendations, but they don’t force you to do their suggestions. That being said, they’re experts, so trust in their feedback and guidance. They’re also super amenable to your ideas, wants, and needs, so they’re a truly great resource. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Nooka Space LTD is a startup company based in Ireland, preparing to launch the world’s first connected proximity office spaces. We plan to release a full service that allows people to own a Nooka Space or rent one, and manage everything from our mobile apps. I am responsible for the Nooka Space Platform products and I am the interface between the 4 companies working together to achieve our product goals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Halcyon Mobile, and what were your goals?

Nooka Space Platform includes the Nooka Space mobile apps for both iOS and Android and a web-based Admin interface to manage the office spaces and users, which was implemented by the Halcyon Mobile team. The goal was to prepare an MVP for the full service and we plan to release it in June 2021, to validate our Business Model.

The success of our business highly depends on this MVP. In a very short period, with a relatively small team and limited budget, we needed to build a fully functional product, so that people can start using our service. At the beginning, it seemed an impossible goal, but with the dedication of Halcyon, which was above our expectations, we managed to build a product that turned out to be much more than an MVP.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had 8 top software development companies bidding for the project, and we decided to go ahead with Halcyon Mobile. The differentiating factors were the solution proposal, the costs, and the immediate availability of the team, but we also considered their professional portfolio and experience. We were absolutely sure from the beginning that our product is in the right hands. We had a very good collaboration with them from the start, and they gave us the confidence for a very strong business relationship.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The project has 2 parts, a Flutter application, and a React Web application, hosted on AWS. The mobile apps will be used by our end users to find, book, pay and control their Nooka - the smart proximity office. As simple as it sounds, actually, the app is really complex due to the IoT integrations for the lock, heat, and lighting control of the Nooka.

The backend is integrated with 2 different 3rd party solutions to support the IoT part. The Admin interface is a web application for administrators and for Nooka owners, and it is used to manage the Nookas, users, promotions, and some basic reports.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a Senior Project Manager, 2 Flutter developers, 1 Full Stack developer, 1 Backend developer, a QA engineer, and a Solution Architect. I worked really closely with the Project Manager, but also directly with the team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The biggest success is that in 3 months, starting from a design, we built a very strong product, released in the app stores. A full product life cycle compressed in this short period and limited budget demonstrates the potential of this cooperation. With this achievement, we definitely consider that our MVP can be released with success.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

On this project, we interacted with 4 different teams. My role was to mediate this collaboration, mainly on Google Meets, Slack, and email, but on the product side basically, the whole project management was done by the Halcyon team. They kept the Roadmap, the Gantt chart and followed the necessary PM steps in order to achieve the goal. I received every update or news in time and had great support when issues were raised, or when decisions needed to be made. They are very flexible and the whole process was focused on how we can bring more value in this short time, but still create a secure and reliable product.

They chose the most efficient way of working in an agile environment, considering the hard constraints we had. We managed to plan and finish all milestones according to the initial plan, even if we had several changes and iterations on some of the features. The estimates were close to reality, sometimes allowing us to insert extra features, without compromising the quality.

I would especially emphasize the value brought by the Project Manager. Although he was only part-time on the project, together with his team they delivered more than I expected in these conditions. His relationship with the team secures progress in the most difficult contexts and gives you the confidence that the end result will be the desired one.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Even for an MVP, they prepared a Solution Design that can be the foundation of a very robust service. We came with the vision, and their Product Specialist designed us a solution we didn’t even think of. With attention to detail, good feature prioritization, he managed to outline the best solution for our ideas. The biggest value for us was that we paid a development team, but we got a product team, fully driven to deliver the best possible MVP for us. I extremely appreciate their passion for the product, their dedication to satisfying the client.

Their exceptional technical knowledge, professionalism made it possible to deliver this much in such a short time. I received a lot of important feedback from all the team members and we can all say that we have at least one brainchild in the product. They always reminded me about the big picture, when I was tempted to get lost in details. I would strongly recommend this team to anyone willing to build a stunning service!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I am very satisfied with this collaboration, so far I can just appreciate the effort the team made for our product. No complaints for now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We were building a mobile app for a consumer brand. We had a web-based app that we wanted to translate into a mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the development, design, and QA for the mobile application. Additionally, they integrated all the features from the web app. That involved handling the logic, UX, and everything related to building the mobile app.
The app was built with Flutter, and their team provides ongoing maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four engineers, a product manager, two designers, and someone for strategy.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

They were among the five candidates recommended based on a brief I submitted to a platform. Their proposal and understanding of the product made me feel that they were the best choice. Their pricing was mid-range as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €80,000–€100,000 (approximately $96,000–$120,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2020, and it is an ongoing project. The product was released in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They quickly solve problems and are both reliable and accurate with their delivery time estimates. I’m quite satisfied with their work.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

They have great product management skills. Halcyon Mobile adheres to deadlines, is extremely responsive, and communicates well when problems arise. For example, they contacted me today about an issue with the App Store.

In response to the issues, they wrote a properly-worded email that needed to be sent in order to get it fixed. We use Slack for 95% of our communication as well as with Jira and Google Docs the other 10% of the time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team structure is extremely reliable and responsive, which helped us build a better product than we could’ve without them. They’re skilled, honest, transparent, and diligent in understanding the product. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve only run into a few issues. For example, we’ve encountered some specific, niche issues with Firebase. They’ve researched anything that comes up, getting back to me within hours on those occasions. I really don’t have anything to say in terms of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of finance & digital projects for Mobile School. It is a nonprofit organization with the goal to support youth workers that work with underprivileged, children. We provide training, educational materials, and other services to help them improve and increase their impact.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We wanted to add some digital products to offer our clients. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed and designed a mobile  Android/iOS application, along with a backend website that manages the platform.  

The backend website manages the team and organization for each user. They can add new members, see reports, etc. It's like a CRM. The database connects the app to the website.

The app aims to support the youth workers by tracking how many children they reach, activities done, children’s profiles, how they grow, and more. Data reports are generated that can be used within their organizations to help improve their work.

What is the team composition?

There were about 14 people working on the project. We mainly interacted with the project manager, Norbert (Senior Technical Project Manager), and the designer. 

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We received five quotes from companies. We chose this team because they were professional, driven to take the project on, and had good pricing. We were slightly unsure about working with a remote team, but they did a two-day workshop online, and we were very pleased with what we saw. We were convinced they were the best partner for us.

How much have you invested with them?

€270,000 (approximately $320,000). That includes this project, and the two we have contracted them to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are doing final testing with the expectation of going live in October. We've done some external testing, and feedback has been very positive thus far. We’ve been very pleased with the work they did. We look forward to seeing the number of organizations that will use our tools once we go live, and how many licenses we will sell.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly status updates. If there are any delays, they are very proactive in communicating with us. They are staying within budget, are available and responsive when we reach out, and the experience is better than any I’ve experienced with previous providers. We use Basecamp and other tools, and communicate mainly via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are professional and flexible. The development was smooth, and the design was done well. The price-to-quality ratio is very high.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. A minor issue would be that they could be more competent in structuring reports. We’ve done a lot of that in-house, and asked them to make changes for improvement, which they have done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a director at a digital consultancy. We were hired by one of the largest group travel agents to the Alps, NUCO Travel. NUCO Travel take tens of thousands of passengers on skiing holidays each year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Halcyon Mobile?

We hired Halcyon to make our solution a reality. We wanted to streamline the passenger experience, ensuring they had access to all information for their holiday at any moment. Once we'd designed the app, Halcyon drew up the technical parameters and started development.

What were your goals for this project?

To phase out traditional forms of communicating (letters, reps, printed slips etc...) and make the passenger experience digital first. We successfully did this, reducing the overall cost of communicating with passengers and increasing their satisfaction with their NUCO holiday.

SOLUTION

How did you select Halcyon Mobile?

We had worked with Halcyon before so knew the quality of their team and execution. There was never any question we'd work with another team when scoping the project.

Describe the project in detail.

• iOS and Android passenger companion app that includes:

1. Trip information (real-time weather, resort status and events),
2. Passenger information (coach tickets, event tickets, ski hire)
3. Support integration with Intercom.

We provided completed designs on InVision while Halcyon managed the development.

What was the team composition?

A project manager looked after us throughout development with a changing team as per-requirements. We normally had 1-2 devs on each platform and occasionally a back-end dev.

Communication was quick and efficient on a shared Slack, ensuring that devs could contact us for clarification without the bureaucracy that occasionally accompanies a PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the two seasons, 90% of passengers transitioned to using the app. In post-trip feedback, the app was rated 4.3/5 after its first season. Costs have been dramatically cut.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Frequent updates over Slack made it easy. We made one visit to Cluj to get to know the team which was nice. They responded well to feedback and language was never a barrier.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They made it easy. Particularly the PM. On the whole, it was a transparent, quick, friendly relationship. Occasional hiccups, the result of flaws on both sides and a fixed price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Halcyon are great at executing fixed-term contracts which is particularly attractive if you're on a tight budget. However, our scope changed following the signing of the initial contract. Despite this, the team were good at adjusting and managing changes. Occasionally it resulted in minor misunderstandings but our project manager quickly addressed these and made sure the quality of the work was not impacted.