ABOUT PROJECT
After a prolonged period of stagnation due to the pandemic, the tourism industry is witnessing a resurgence, with international arrivals reaching 57% of pre-pandemic levels. However, the closure of ski resorts in many Alpine countries significantly impacted global visitation figures, necessitating the skiing industry’s innovative solutions. MountainGuide seized this opportunity to create a modern digital platform for expert advice on skiing and snowboarding destinations, routes, and equipment selection. Despite facing initial setbacks with the previous development team, MountainGuide remained steadfast in its vision. Recognizing the potential in their idea, they entrusted us at Roobykon to bring their digital skiing advisory platform to life.
Our partnership with MountainGuide was driven by a shared commitment to excellence and innovation. Together, we embarked on a journey to create a modern adventure travel marketplace that would cater to the needs of avid skiers worldwide. By leveraging our expertise in software development and MountainGuide’s industry insights, we overcame challenges and delivered a cutting-edge platform that won the hearts of many skiing enthusiasts.
Key Challenges
MountainGuide’s decision to switch development teams reflected the company’s commitment to refining its concept and delivering exceptional service to its users. Upon our engagement, we recognized the need to reimagine the platform’s functionality and user experience to align with MountainGuide’s evolving vision.
Initially, this expert ski advice platform offered basic booking features with a lackluster interface. However, through collaborative brainstorming and strategic planning, we identified opportunities to elevate the marketplace’s appeal. Our team proposed creative solutions, emphasizing the importance of intuitive UI/UX design and integrating features like quick call setup to enhance user engagement and satisfaction.
TECHNOLOGY STACK
Solution Highlights
Our solution for the MountainGuide case study showcases the power and versatility of modern web development technologies. Leveraging the robustness of JavaScript, we utilized frameworks such as React and Redux to build a dynamic and interactive user interface. With the flexibility provided by React Router, users can seamlessly navigate through different sections of the platform, ensuring a smooth and intuitive browsing experience. Additionally, we incorporated Final Form to streamline form validation and submission processes, enhancing usability and reducing errors.
On the backend, our choice of Express and Node.js ensured efficient and scalable server-side operations. This combination allowed us to handle user requests swiftly and maintain optimal performance even during peak usage periods. To further optimize reliability and performance, we deployed the application on Digital Ocean’s cloud infrastructure, ensuring high availability and fast response times for users worldwide. Overall, our solution not only meets the technical requirements of the MountainGuide marketplace but also sets a standard for excellence in web development, delivering a seamless and engaging experience for skiing enthusiasts.
The process
01
Requirements collection and analysis: We began by thoroughly understanding MountainGuide’s vision and goals for the marketplace. This involved gathering requirements, studying outdoor adventure market trends, and analyzing user needs. Given the transition from the previous development team, we conducted in-depth discussions to identify pain points, assess existing functionalities, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
02
Design creation: With a clear understanding of the requirements, our design team crafted a visually appealing and user-centric interface for this skiing marketplace. Drawing upon our expertise in UI/UX design, we conceptualized wireframes and mockups to visualize the platform’s layout, navigation flow, and key features.
03
Development: Leveraging cutting-edge technologies, our development team brought the design to life. We followed agile development practices, breaking down the project into manageable tasks and iterations. It took us two months to create a working MVP.
04
Internal testing: Before proceeding to client-side testing, we conducted rigorous internal testing to identify and address any bugs, errors, or inconsistencies in the marketplace. Our quality assurance engineers meticulously tested each component and functionality to ensure smooth performance across different devices and browsers.
05
Client-side testing: Engaging MountainGuide in the testing phase, we provided them with access to the marketplace for user acceptance testing (UAT). This allowed MountainGuide to evaluate the platform’s functionality, usability, and overall user experience in a real-world environment.
06
Additional feature implementation: Following successful testing and feedback integration, we proceeded to implement additional features and enhancements based on MountainGuide’s evolving needs and market demands. This iterative approach allowed us to continuously improve and expand the marketplace, delivering added value to MountainGuide and enhancing its competitiveness in the skiing advisory market.
Main Features
Robust listings
Users can explore various skiing routes, including lesser-known and niche destinations favored by extreme sports enthusiasts. The platform provides comprehensive information on each listing, including terrain difficulty, skill level required, and ski type.
Hourly bookings
Utilizing the Yogatime template, MountainGuide offers hourly booking capabilities, allowing people to schedule consultations with ski experts at their convenience. The intuitive interface streamlines the booking process and enhances user experience and accessibility.
Automatic call scheduling
Integrated functionality enables automatically setting call dates and times, with a default duration of 30 minutes. This feature ensures prompt access to expert guidance and assistance, facilitating quick resolution of trip-related queries and concerns.
Expert profiles
Users can access detailed profiles of ski experts, showcasing their expertise, skill level, preferred terrain, and experience. This information helps users gauge the suitability of each expert for their specific needs and preferences, contributing to a personalized and tailored consultation experience.
Price customization
The cost of consultations is determined based on various factors, including the expertise level of the ski expert, terrain difficulty, and ski type. Users can view the estimated price of each consultation during the booking process, enabling transparency and informed decision-making.
User reviews
Grateful users’ reviews are prominently featured on the platform’s homepage, providing social proof and fostering trust among potential users. Positive feedback contributes to the marketplace’s online reputation and reinforces its credibility and attractiveness to prospective callers.
RESULTS
The collaboration between Roobykon and MountainGuide has yielded promising results, focusing on enhancing communication functionalities within the skiing trip planning platform. Despite the absence of video calls, our teams engaged in active brainstorming sessions to conceptualize special communication concepts. The future implementation of these ideas holds the potential to drive traffic growth and elevate the platform’s multifunctionality, offering users a unique and comprehensive skiing advisory experience.
With plans to integrate features such as call histories, chat data caching, and curated offers, MountainGuide aims to set a new standard in the industry. However, the project faced a setback due to the geopolitical complexities in Europe, leading to a temporary pause in development. Nevertheless, the platform continues to serve its loyal user base, providing valuable insights and guidance to skiing enthusiasts.
Lessons from MountainGuide
Creating the MountainGuide marketplace has been a valuable learning experience for Roobykon, offering insights into overcoming specific challenges and fostering continuous growth and improvement. One key lesson learned was the importance of adaptability and flexibility in the face of unexpected hurdles. The need to redesign the platform and integrate new functionalities due to the change in development teams highlighted the necessity of staying agile and responsive to evolving project requirements.
Moreover, navigating the geopolitical complexities that temporarily halted the project underscored the importance of resilience and strategic planning. Roobykon learned the value of anticipating external factors and proactively mitigating project timelines and deliverables risks. This experience reinforced our commitment to maintaining open communication with clients and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment throughout development.
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