Tinderhouse

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and managing director of Stay On Route. The goal of my company is to make travel, especially by train, more accessible to those who are severely visually impaired or blind. Our main asset is the Stay On Route app, which allows users to be notified about when their destination is approaching.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

Tinderhouse was hired to build the first version of the Stay On Route app for iOS devices. The main challenge for our customers—the visually impaired—is that it can be extremely difficult to travel, especially alone.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was for Tinderhouse to produce a good quality first version to launch in the market. The app would solve the problem of the visually impaired feeling stressed while traveling by taking care of knowing where they are and how far they've got to go.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

When choosing an app developer, we had certain specifications for what we wanted. We wanted the app developer to be local so that we could meet regularly in-person. We also wanted a partner that already had experience in map-based apps. Fair prices were also a necessity.

After considering a couple of different developers, Tinderhouse was shown to be the best fit given that they met all of our criteria. I decided to choose Tinderhouse as our app developer.

Describe the project in detail.

As the app was the first version, the scope was very minimal. The scope was to build an iOS version of a location-based alarm system app. This involved 16 separate pages inside the app. Seven of these pages were for the main alarm process, and the rest of the pages, such as the about page and the settings page, can be accessed from the menu.

The project began with us providing sketches of the pages and the layout of the app. With their experience, Tinderhouse was able to create wireframes and beta versions of the app. I was able to test them and identify bugs. After this stage, the app was ready to be reviewed and go on the App Store.

What was the team composition?

Tinderhouse had two people from their team working on our project. They were both involved in the development of the app. The size of the team stayed the same throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, user feedback has been very positive. We’ve received many compliments about the design of the app and how professional it looks. We also haven’t received any reports of bugs. The app’s performance has been very smooth.

The tangible outcomes were the completion of the first version of the Stay On Route app. This project has had a significant positive impact on the progression and direction of our own business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication and workflow between Tinderhouse and myself were very good. I was able to get swift responses to emails, and someone would always pick up the phone when I called. Also, scheduling was on time and very professional. They responded well to feedback and provided solutions to the questions or particular changes that we requested.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I believe that where they stand out is in their ability to explain and suggest technical functions of app development to someone who is not fully competent. Despite my lack of experience with mobile app development, I always felt confident in their decisions, as they were able to fully explain complex technical problems to me in a way that I was able to understand its consequences and effects. I truly believe this distinguishes them from other developers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I didn't notice any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of a three-year-old company that supports parents with young children through their weaning journeys.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

Our baby weaning recipe mobile app was developed initially three years ago. But, with limited experience as a startup, I grew to realize that this first app lacked many important features. The aesthetics were quickly starting to become dated, it was clunky to use, and I wanted the ability to update the app with new recipes every week.

What were your goals for this project?

My goals were to make my existing users’ experience the best it could be and to have the ability to provide them with new exciting features and fresh content every week.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I went through an online search process, telephone discussions, and face-to-face meetings to determine if they were the right fit and could achieve my desired results.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved moving my app recipes from the old app onto a newly designed app. The aim was for the new app to be user-friendly in addition to providing new features like shopping lists, allergy filters, and recipe videos. 

Tinderhouse also created a CMS which linked to the new app, meaning I could update it myself every week for my users. They also added an in-app purchase function, which was vitally important at this stage in my business to ensure my existing users could support my efforts with weekly updates and ongoing costs.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Nick (Managing Director, Tinderhouse) who provided updates often and kept me well informed of the team’s progress.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new app has received very high praise from my app users, who are very impressed with the redesign. The inclusion of the in-app purchase is now helping me to secure a more regular income, taking some of the stress away from heavy marketing for new app sales.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Nick and his team were great at keeping me up to speed, providing regular updates and beta versions to test.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their knowledge exceptional. They suggested things that I hadn't ever thought possible. Communication was fantastic, and any questions were answered fully and in-depth, which was very reassuring as someone with limited knowledge of app coding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

With any project, we have had a few teething problems, but I did expect these. No matter how much you test, you can't replicate thousands of users. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and I have recommended Tinderhouse to anyone who has asked for their details since the app’s relaunch.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager for the UK subsidiary of Cembrit, a Danish fiber cement building product manufacturer. Our company also supplies complementary products from third parties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We hired Tinderhouse to produce a mobile visualization tool that residential building owners/builders could use to assess how changing the weatherboard color would affect the overall appearance of a property.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a tool ready to demo at our show stand for the National Homebuilding and Renovation show (an important self-build exhibition). We also hoped that our sales people could showcase the app on their phones when visiting stockists and other prospects.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for companies that had experience creating apps for building products. After reaching out to three local firms, two of them replied and received the project brief. Only Tinderhouse followed up. 

Describe the project in detail.

Tinderhouse developed a mobile building app that allowed users to visualize weatherboard color changes on a property. The app consists of six typical UK housing types, each with 20 color options available in our weatherboard range. They also worked to include a house design that was difficult to adapt due to its original color.

Before starting the project, their project manager asked appropriate questions to get a clear understanding of the brief. The team then proceeded to development, providing gamma, delta, and alpha versions of the app for me to review. Finally, they delivered clear instructions to our sales force on how to download the app and which versions of the touchscreen should be used for our show stand.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a project manager and a team of developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app launched at the exhibition to great enthusiasm from both our sales force and visitors. It helped us gain 125 leads for weatherboards.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was 1-to-1 and very straightforward. They provided content and updates via email, which worked smoothly, and they always responded within the day. Whenever they had questions about my brief, the project manager would communicate rapidly and clearly so that I could understand what was happening.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was a stress-free project. They delivered the app under a tight deadline while I was preoccupied with ensuring that our show stand would be ready.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, this was a perfect and perfectly run project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and co-CEO of Investor’s Champion Ltd. We share objective and insightful financial content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tinderhouse?

I needed a dynamic website that could be easily updated and maintained and also support our business as we grow. I was looking for a vendor to help us build the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tinderhouse built our website on the ExpressionEngine platform. We share research and reviews of financial companies on the site, primarily focusing on UK-based organizations, but we feature some offshore organizations as well. The site started as a simple blog, but Tinderhouse helped us enhance it. The team implemented a credit-based payment process. We offer free content, but users can access premium content if they sign up for a subscription. Users buy credits and use them to view certain articles. We’re going through some final testing right now, trying to identify any problem areas or additional functionally we need to add.

What is the team composition?

Nick (Founder, Tinderhouse) is our main point of contact. He’s responsive and collaborative.

How did you come to work with Tinderhouse?

We saw that Tinderhouse was supporting a site similar to the one we were looking to build, so we approached them and asked for their help.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent a total of $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking with them a few years ago, but the bulk of the work started in October 2018. They’ve completed the majority of the work at this point, and we plan to wrap up within the next month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the new site, we're experiencing more users. Our next step is converting them into paid users. We haven’t implemented any marketing strategies yet, but we will once we finalize the website.

How did Tinderhouse perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive. On occasion, we have to send them a small reminder, but they’re very receptive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve known the Tinderhouse team for a while. They’re a pretty small team, so there’s a personal touch in all of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nick handles most of the client-facing work for Tinderhouse. I think he should spread that responsibility across more staff members. This will help them add value to their business as they continue to grow and evolve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a small management consulting firm. We focused on advising businesses in financial services and real estate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We engaged Tinderhouse to develop a web app that can make accounting calculations related to real estate leases.

What were your goals for this project?

The application needed to be intuitive and reliable for users with industry familiarity. It also needed to work on multiple platforms.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After having several phone calls and reviewing their past projects on their website, I chose Tinderhouse to complete this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We had a prototype site with a basic implementation of our concept. After we agreed on our functional requirements, Tinderhouse designed the user interface. They then developed and implemented our app and completed testing.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Nick (Managing Director, Tinderhouse) and a coding person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The app serves as a marketing tool and has provided my business with more credibility when approaching potential clients.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The collaboration ran smoothly from start to finish. I had one-on-one discussions with Nick and he was always responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Tinderhouse was committed to delivering excellent results for a fair and fixed price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We’re a non-partisan political research charity in the U.K., working to strengthen parliamentary democracy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We were looking to create a web application that would allow users to monitor U.K. legislation.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a responsive database that could cater to a large number of complex scenarios and had a UI design that was clean and intuitive.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to us by another organization. Previous experience of working in the political sphere was important to the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed, and configured both the back- and frontend of the site based on our initial brief. All the key features and functionalities were delivered and surpassed our expectations.

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of three people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They delivered the work ahead of time. The website has resulted in us securing 20 new clients and has improved our efficiency.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There was really impressive communication. Our lead contact Nick (Managing Director, Tinderhouse) was very open, responsive, and kept me informed of progress regularly. They met all the deadlines and finished ahead of time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We couldn’t be happier with the quality of work. I’m most impressed by how the team was able to understand the brief and its complex subject matter, and then deliver on it to such a high level.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner and director of MindStore International Limited.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We wanted an experienced developer to help us create our app.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the app to offer an easy-to-use interactive experience. In addition, we wanted it to function as a separate online platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked at Tinderhouse’s various projects and met with their team. They were more than willing to commit to our project, which gave us confidence. We felt they offered authenticity and the ability to develop our app.

Describe the project in detail.

They built the app to be interactive for our users. Their developers built multiple programs into the online platform, including graphics, photography, guided meditations, and journaling. They also wrote detailed instructions for the app.

What was the team composition?

Tinderhouse provided a consistent team for development, as well as after the launch period.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received fantastic feedback from our unique users and clients; we’re delighted with the result.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Tinderhouse team was involved in all aspects of the project and led our team. They inspired open and creative collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The approachability and capabilities they offered instilled confidence in us. They met all of our specific needs and patiently explained their process to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It’d be beneficial to us if the technology were simpler to understand, but Tinderhouse eased the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a transport planner for the transport innovations team of Kent County Council. We were awarded a grant by the Department for Transport to develop a website featuring an active travel information hub.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We asked Tinderhouse to develop a journey planner app that would replicate our website, Kent Connected. It would promote active travel like walking and cycling, with trains and cars as the last options.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to make travel planning easy while highlighting more active options. We wanted to accommodate all types of users by creating an interactive, user-friendly, and accurate app. We wanted to instill confidence in the Kent Connected brand, in the hope that our users would continue to use our journey planner on the go.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Tinderhouse because they’d developed similar apps before. They also agreed with our values and traveled sustainably.

Describe the project in detail.

Tinderhouse created a mobile app that has walking and cycling maps presented in layers, a flexible format that allows users to make the best decision. They also provided other ideas and options that we could add to our app, which we are still exploring. They suggested points of interest on the interactive map.

What was the team composition?

Since the beginning of the project, Nick (Managing Director, Tinderhouse) has managed every aspect of our app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the year and a half since the app has been live, we've had 815 users, 67% of which are returning users. Tinderhouse understood our brief so well that the timeframe from project initiation to completion was just a few months. They worked quickly to achieve everything we asked them to.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Tinderhouse sends regular updates through email to keep the project on track, but we’ve also had several meetings in person. Nick has been excellent with communication. He is always available if I need to give him a call. If he is ever away, he would leave us with other useful contacts within Tinderhouse.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Tinderhouse's professionalism and expertise have given me confidence in their work. Tinderhouse makes an effort to understand our needs completely, which is evident in everything they do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The app is now live, so I only communicate with Tinderhouse if I have any questions or needs. At this point, more communication might be beneficial, but this is a personal preference.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the deputy director of research at Edison Investment Research, Europe's largest commissioned equity research company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We've been working with Tinderhouse for 10 years and have engaged them on multiple projects including our website, investor tracking service, and intranet.

What were your goals for this project?

We've had various goals, which ranged from improving investor engagement with our research to tracking readership and improving the discoverability of our content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to Tinderhouse via a third party.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Tinderhouse has been responsible for managing and maintaining our web presence for more than a decade. They've also been responsible for developing most of our in-house investor tracking solutions and bespoke extranet database.

What was the team composition?

We mainly work with the managing director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Over the last decade, we've grown from a startup with three staff members to a staff of over 100. We now have more than 400 clients, and much of our success is due to the tools and systems produced by Tinderhouse.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We largely run project management internally.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is always responsive and suggests well-thought-out and innovative solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could be better at providing documentation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director of a company that provides specialist detection dogs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tinderhouse?

We needed help to build a custom app to manage, collect, and store dog-related records for training.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to minimize paperwork and time spent on administrative tasks in order to futureproof the company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I put out general requirement to several companies online. The quotes were all within the same range. We went with Tinderhouse because I wanted a local company so we could discuss our needs in person.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Tinderhouse broke down the project into three main components: an app, data management system, and web portal front page. They developed and enhanced the app with regular updates over the past two years.

What was the team composition?

I mainly deal with Nick (managing director, Tinderhouse).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project has fundamentally changed the way we work. The initial project was just for data capture but it quickly evolved. We now have an efficient, easy-to-use application and an intuitive web portal.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their team is supportive and helpful. We have regular face-to-face meetings, and also use email and phone calls for project updates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re adaptable and open-minded. They quickly found solutions to meet our needs whenever any problems occurred.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.