From a challenge…
Mediafin wanted to innovate their mobile application ‘De Tijd’, from scratch. Endare was chosen as the digital partner for their project because of our flexibility and accessibility. As De Tijd and L’Echo are quality newspapers, its premium character needed to be reflected in the design and performance of the app. By iteratively introducing new features and improving the overall quality of the application, we strove to enhance the experience for both the news consuming users and the customers looking for financial expertise. To reach the desired level of performance, the online application for finance-related news had to undergo a few transformations.
…to a solution...
The project was conducted in close collaboration with the Product Owner of the application of Mediafin. Daily contact made sure adjustments happened smoothly and everyone was aware of what the preferences and possibilities were to upgrade the application. We started by copying the previous app, through a profound and careful reevaluation of the functionalities and layout, to make sure we had a solid basis to start with. The next step was to add new features and provide both the old, remaining features and the new ones with high-quality performance and great user experience.
The main and most important change, compared to the previous application, was the change in technology. Instead of using two native apps, React Native was used to have one consistent codebase to be deployed on both Android and iOS devices. Because of using React Native, we were able to create native components, develop features at a rapid pace, and maintain the code more conveniently.
...with impact.
The new features consist, for example, of a new component indicating articles the customer may have missed, a more user-friendly menu, and a full rethinking of the tablet version as the application is available on tablet devices as well.
Throughout the project, we saw a gradual increase in user satisfaction which was the overall goal of rebuilding the application. However, there is still an exciting and challenging journey ahead of us, as we aim for an even higher satisfaction. We look forward to further developments of this project.
In this rebuilt application, the image of De Tijd is reflected as it should be. In that way, we were able to contribute to the consistency of the brand and to give readers the experience they deserve.
We haven't been sitting idle since the release of the app
We introduced podcasts in the latest release of the app in January 2022. This was necessary to support the brand new daily podcasts from De Tijd and L'Echo. For this we had to provide a few features to improve the useability for the end user.
Firstly, we made sure that while you are playing a podcast you retain the full functionality of your mobile phone. This means that you can continue listening in the background while you use your smartphone for other things.
Next, we built a new track player within the app. While reading articles, your current podcast is displayed and it is possible to view show notes.
Lastly, we introduced an entire new 'Podcasts' section in the app. Within the 'Podcasts' tab you can find all offered podcasts at a glance. These are not only podcasts published by the editors of De Tijd and L'Echo, but also podcasts from third parties.
