Rocketech

Project description: BookWA is a Russian virtual book club that comprises a listing and a social network's functionality. Here, people can connect over literature worth sharing, indulge in meaningful discussions, and get reading recommendations based on real feedback and personal preferences.  

Our role: UX/UI Design, Branding, Mobile Development, Backend, Support

Tech stack: iOS: Swift, RxSwift, CocoaPods, VKSDK, Facebook, Realm, Alamofire, Sockets, Markdown, SnapKit, Fabric, Crashlytics, YoutubePlayer. 

Back-end: nodejs, jsberry framework express, 

Integrations: VK, Facebook, Apple ID, CDN API

Database: mongodb, mysql

Front-end: jsberry, reactjs, express, redux saga.

The challenge: The project emerged from the client’s idea of a book-specific social networking app with smart recommendation algorithms based on two metrics: community feedback and user behavior. We were challenged to deliver complex social mechanics while keeping the app simple and uncluttered. The team got involved in the project to the maximum extent, crafting the overall concept, logic, interface, and design.

The solution: The end product is a social networking app with a 180,000+ book database, vast social mechanics, and an active reading community.  

• Automatically generated personalized recommendations and maps of emotions based on user actions; 

• Personal library with suggestions, books saved for later, and stats;

• Social networking functionality allowing users to follow people with similar reading preferences, like their libraries, leave comments, participate in multi-thread discussions, and get in-app notifications;

• Newsfeed featuring friends’ reading choices and recommendations, as well as comments, ratings, quotes of the day, and likes;

• Integration with Facebook, VK, and Russia’s biggest ebook marketplaces: LitRes and Book24.

• Admin panel development and API integration.

Results: We developed an iOS mobile app from scratch and tested it in real-time with an active user base. A thousand users attracted to testing became the pioneers of the BookWA community and further developed the project.  

We worked closely with the in-house team on each stage of the development cycle. The app underwent 10 iterations of design and multiple incarnations of mechanics and logic.

Although the code base has grown more complex over time, the system remains stable and handles thousands of active users without the refactoring job. 

The app scored 1000+ downloads in a matter of the first two weeks. 

Shortly after launch, BookWA was rated #17 in the Russian AppStore.

Two years in the project, we continue to maintain the app in the support mode, improving its performance and usability.