After the zero-workshop and in-depth consultations with the client's team, we proceeded to plan the architecture of the application and its market implementation.

What does such implementation look like? How do developers approach such a project? What is the cost of deploying such a mobile application? These and other questions are answered in the following Case Study.

1. Our Client, Understanding Individual Needs

To begin with, a few words about our client. Warzelnia Piwa Bydgoszcz is a restaurant that has become a permanent part of the landscape of Bydgoszcz's Old Town.

Operating since 2011, this establishment is the culmination of the brewing, culinary, and historical passions of its creators.

It is precisely for this reason that the owners decided to create an interactive museum to highlight the historical heritage of brewing in this unique place.

2. Project Assumptions

Let's start with the basics, namely the project assumptions. After the zero-workshop and consultations with the Warzelnia Piwa team, we outlined the most essential project assumptions for the client.

- The application is intended to be an extension of the museum visiting experience at the restaurant. The Brewery Museum is located within an active and popular restaurant, making it impossible to create a conventional museum exhibition. The application aims to transfer a significant part of the exhibition to the screens of visitors' phones.

- The museum is divided into "stations" that visitors move between. Upon reaching each station, the user activates museum materials related to that station by scanning a QR code in the application.

- Each station in the application is associated with an article describing that particular station. The articles are expected to include photos, the ability to play historical videos, etc.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the application must meet the following criteria:

- The application must work on both iOS and Android systems.

- The application must be cost-effective to build and maintain.

- Adding content, such as articles, photos, and videos, should be as simple and intuitive as possible, allowing any of the Warzelnia staff to make changes independently.

Increasing visitor engagement was also crucial for our client. After considering various options, we proposed creating a quiz game within the application.

Upon achieving a sufficient number of points in the quiz, the visitor will receive a reward from Warzelnia Piwa at the end of the tour.

Keeping all this in mind, our project team outlined the initial concept for the application.

With the initial application sketches and project assumptions in mind, we proceeded to choose the appropriate technologies.

3. Technology

As mentioned earlier, the application needs to be cost-effective in both development and maintenance. It's evident that the client cannot afford separate teams working on implementation for years.

In this case, we needed to choose something that would allow us to limit the number of involved developers to one team working on the mobile application, API, and deployment.

The obvious solution for us in this context was to use Expo, based on React Native.

One might ask why not Flutter? In our perception, React Native was better suited for this job, not to mention that it is a more mature technology, providing greater flexibility. To simplify this decision, we boiled it down to a few points:

Expo (React Native) allows us to maintain the same code for iOS and Android.

It facilitates easy implementation of the same application for web browsers (React Native Web). It streamlines collaboration between development teams, as both frontend and backend are maintained in the same language, TypeScript.

Application deployment is easy, as Expo handles the build process and pushing to stores. We have full support for OTA updates, significantly reducing the time required for quick product iteration. Does Expo (React Native) have any drawbacks?

Of course, it does! React Native is not suitable for building applications that require high performance, such as games. However, in this case, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, and we chose Expo as our main tool.

What about the backend? The answer here was simple. We needed a CMS with the ability to modify code and implement custom endpoints.

An additional advantage for us was the ability to maintain the backend in a serverless environment.

Keeping this in mind, we chose the following technologies:

• Strapi CMS - an open-source CMS based on NodeJS (Koa).
• PostgreSQL - battle-tested relational database.
• Cloudinary - image hosting and optimization.

All of this, of course, was wrapped in a serverless environment, allowing us to limit the client's budget.

The choice of these tools allowed us to deliver the product quickly to the client, minimize implementation time, and reduce the required time for iterating with subsequent versions of the product.

From a technical standpoint, we used the NativeWind library to build the application interfaces, allowing us to directly style components using TailwindCSS.

Other technical aspects included: - TypeScript
- Expo Router
- NativeWind, as mentioned earlier.

The backend development process was somewhat simpler; here, experience with implementing Strapi came in handy, drastically reducing the time needed to build the backend and CMS.

4. Design

Do you think that while we were sitting with developers over cup of coffee, design took a vacation?

Far from it! During this time, our design team was already working on the visual aspect of the application.

5. Development

After our proposals were accepted by the client, we moved on to the development phase.

A team of two programmers led by a project manager set out to quickly bring the application to market.

We managed to complete the entire process within 40 working days, including the time needed for consultations with the client.

Within NucliNet, we work with clients as partners, aiming to actively participate in the decision-making process and contribute our ideas to the project as it unfolds.

How long will it take to build a mobile application for my company?

The time required to build a mobile application tailored to individual needs primarily depends on its complexity.

n this case, the requirements were relatively straightforward, so the entire process, including deployment, was completed within the mentioned 40 days.

For larger projects, the timeline may be shortened by involving a larger number of developers.

However, in this particular case, it was not feasible due to the need to maintain a low project cost.

How does the application look like from the client's perspective? Can they manage it independently?

To ensure the smooth operation of the application, easy content editing, and further development of the museum, it was essential to integrate a Content Management System (CMS).

Our team opted for Strapi CMS, providing non-technical staff at the restaurant the ability to edit articles, photos, videos, and the quiz featured in the application.

By integrating the CMS, the museum creators will be able to independently manage the project without further involvement from our developers.

During the implementation phase, we provided training for the client's team. To achieve this, we recorded short and accessible videos explaining how to use each feature.

This way, the editorial team responsible for managing the museum received comprehensive instructions without the need for time-consuming training sessions.

How much does it cost to build such an application?

The estimated cost depends, of course, on the complexity of the project.

Another factor influencing the price is the number of developers involved.

Within NucliNet, we provide an accurate quote after a free consultation conducted in the form of a Discovery Call. For the purposes of this article, we have prepared the following price ranges for mobile applications:

- SIMPLE APPLICATIONS
10,000 - 30,000 PLN

- COMPLEX PROJECTS / ENTERPRISE
30,000 - 120,000 PLN

The described project was estimated at around 18,000 PLN.

This amount includes the design of the visual interface, application development, testing, market deployment, and training for the client's staff.

What is the result of all this commotion?

After completing the project, we implemented all suggested corrections and handed over the management of the application to the restaurant staff.

Thanks to well-thought-out architecture, content management system, and user-friendly instructional videos, we managed to avoid many issues in running the application.

The project was met with great enthusiasm from the staff and, most importantly, was well-received by the guests of Warzelnia Piwa.

We are proud that our project enriches the city center, highlights its historical values, and helps promote the rich history of brewing in the location where Warzelnia Piwa Bydgoszcz currently stands.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely!
For us, the most important aspect is always the business perspective and the impact of the completed project on the client's operations.

In this regard, the mobile application once again proved to be up to the task. Is it worth investing in innovative technological solutions?

The best evidence for that is the client's satisfaction and the real profits that Warzelnia Piwa is already beginning to generate in its refreshed form.