We have a question for all the travelers out there. Whenever you embark on an adventurous journey, what are the items that absolutely cannot be left behind?
Your passport? Credit card? Probably your mobile phone as well. Right?
There’s a reason that the last of these has now become an important travel tool- the many amazing travel apps you can use to ensure that you, as a traveler have the best trip possible!
Here is an enlightening case study.
EngineerBabu has made a travel app for travelers to find their travel Buddy. Buddy will help you with your every single travel requirement- from budget hotels, places of tourist attraction, restaurant reservations, to even finding a cheap flight to London, Paris, Singapore, Delhi & Mumbai! Sounds pretty convenient, right?
Well, wait til you actually use the Buddy for Travel App. You’ll be perplexed to know that everything related to your travel needs has been taken care of at one place. No longer fighting the anxiety to reach your destination and look for a tour guide or company and pay them hundreds of dollars! You’ll get access to every information at just one tap!
About Buddy- Mobile App For Travelers:
Buddy is the brainchild of a couple from London who love to travel but were left exhausted with the troublesome experiences they had faced in every adventure they were seeking. There’s a lot of issues that travelers get to face today, even after so much socio-cultural and technological advancement. From inability to get a stay as good as promised, unfamiliarity with the city and a messed up itinerary, travelers have to stay extra cautious before making any plans.
The co-founders decided to launch Buddy! It’s a travel companion that helps travelers plan everything. Quick user sign up and communication options even before you book your tickets! At present- Buddy is actively providing services in Paris, London, Mumbai, Singapore and Delhi. The idea behind the mobile application is to connect travelers visiting these 5 locations with a ‘buddy’. Each listed buddy is an expert in the local whereabouts. In fact, you get to save loads of money based on our buddy’s expertise and experience. Your buddy will get everything you want, covered for you.
Demands Put Forward By The Client:
The client wished to create a wholesome mobile application for every traveler planning to visit their dream holiday destinations. They wanted the application to work on Android as well as iOS, along with a website. Their only motive was- building a platform for the avid explorers where they wouldn’t get disappointed with bad quality of facilities. They wanted Buddy to be the answer to all their tiresome travel problems-
- Getting buddy translators for those who do not know the native language.
- Getting reservations made prior to starting the trip.
- Not only helping a buddy and a traveler connect remotely, but also physically.
- Organizing, planning and listing things right before the tour begins.
- Solo female travelers have the option to be connected with a female buddy, as per their ease of comfort.
- Integrating Chat feature in the app to make it a child’s play to connect to a buddy in real time.
They wanted for travelers to get rid of the dreadful travel logs and hassles, by just booking a Buddy at one click. The chat feature in the app was to make it a child’s play to connect to a Buddy in real time.
Our Approach-
About the team:
The client approached us last year, in August 2018, and we immediately began working on the project. We completed the first version of the app by February 2019. Our team consisted of 7 members for developing Buddy- one iOS developer, one android developer, one Back-end developer, one QA and Project Manager, one Designer and one for front-end development. We have also been working on the second version of the app since March 2019, and it would be completed by August 2019.
Development Model for the Travelers App:
If you’re a business owner looking to grow your business, there are certain things to keep in mind before developing an app. For developers, we have our methods to decide upon the approach once a task has been assigned to us. The approach that was used for Buddy’s development was the Agile model.
At EngineerBabu, the requirements are first understood by the sales team initially. They are then provided to the design team. And once all the layouts have been created, it’s the task of the developers to implement it.
Our back-end developers work on the principle of modularity. The system along with the application components were divided into modules to carry out tasks on various elements, at the same time. It had to be done without affecting the work of the other. When the entire project is divided in modules, it allows various developers to work on the project at the same time and reducing the burden of doing the task on a single developer. In turn, it reduces the time required to complete the project and we’re able to hand over the product on time!
Wire Framing:
An intuitive UI is important for a smooth User Experience. We worked to build some low fidelity wireframes. After which, we developed a flow. We took a green flag for those from the client, and built high fidelity wireframes. In the process, we used tools like Adobe XD and Illustrator. Finally, then we delivered a flow prototype in Invision.
Tech Stack used:
Following is the list of applications we used to create Buddy (Android as well as iOS)-
- IDE – Android Studio
- Build System – Gradle
- UI Designing – XML, Material design standards
- Web Services Calling – AQuery
- Image and Data Caching – AQuery
- Programming Language- Java
- Push Notifications – Firebase Cloud Messaging
Backend-
- Programming Language – PHP
- Database – MySQL
- IDE – SubLine
Features of the Buddy App:
The mobile application was developed for Android and iOS. The website has also been developed by us. We incorporated a number of features in the travelers mobile app to make it a one-step solution for every individual who is-
- yet to enter the planning stage,
- has already planned one, and
- needs some direction as to where to go, where to stay, what to eat, whom to contact, etc.
- Also, itinerary making is absolutely free!
Who can enlist themselves as a Buddy?
There are people in every town who know about every nook and corner of their city on their fingertips. From museums to site-seeing, pubs and breweries to the historic restaurants, there’s a lot to experience for every first time visitor. As a Buddy, you can register on this app and make a few extra bucks with ease. This App gives you the power to turn your ‘Hobby’ into your ‘Passion’. Indeed, this is the simplest way to put your local knowledge into use, while helping out the people visiting your city.
A Buddy has to go through a simple yet strict scrutiny to get themselves registered.
A basic background check and identity authentication is all that is needed. Once you get registered as a Buddy, you have the right to put as many facilities as you want, in your column as your specialization. You are also open to accepting or rejecting any request you receive from the travelers without any misuse. You can even chat directly with the users via the Chat feature.
Being a buddy comes with its own perks. You get to interact with varied people while sharing your culture, learning theirs, satisfying yourself by providing your visitors with an extra something, and so much more. Ultimately, it’s a mutual benefit!
What does the Client have to say about the finished project?
Here is the review given by the client to us on Clutch. Also, they left an email to our team recently.
Got A Trip? Get A Buddy!
There’s nothing like the feeling when you arrive in a new, exciting city. Buddy is an exclusive platform where the local experts take care of all your travel related questions. Discover places and save all the research time, before planning a trip. From the time you start dreaming about your next destination, to the moment your feet hit the welcome mat back home, having the right travel mobile app on hand makes the whole experience smoother and less stressful.
At present, the application is actively providing services in these 5 locations- Paris, London, Mumbai, Singapore and Delhi. However, stay tuned. The client will be extending the Buddy App’s services to other travel destinations pretty soon!
Let us know in the comments section below, if you have used this application and liked the UI/UX of this app! Also, we have previously developed mobile apps for several other sectors like- Grocery Delivery, EduTech, FinTech, Service Providers, etc.
We come across various interesting project ideas often. Projects like Buddy help us achieve our financial goals in addition to being the fuel needed to channelize our energy into doing what we do the best- creating beautiful mobile applications for our clients and their users.
If you’re an entrepreneur with such interesting ideas to boost your business, just drop us an email at [email protected]. We’ll get back to you! You can even right now.