Shape
A Swedish startup partnered with Touchlane to create a health and fitness application for a specific demographic – women aged 35 and above. Although the founders lacked software development experience, they had a clear vision. Their main objectives were to create an MVP in four months and accomplish a very particular, sophisticated design style.
Initial Task
Description
The client needed a minimal viable product for their fitness concept. Their main requirements were as follows:
- An app with a Scandinavian design aesthetic that features a simple, uncluttered interface in pastel colors.
- Completing a working MVP within four months.
- Becoming a development partner who could guide the client through the entire process with efficient communication.
- Creating a solution that balanced the desired features with their budget constraints.
Our team managed the complete project cycle that included discovery, design, development, and preparation for release.
Technology stack
Flutter
Challenges
Business challenges
1. Abstract design direction. Even without mood boards, references, or mockups, the startup founders shared a clear vision of how the product should look and feel. Our design team translated their high-level ideas and verbal descriptions into a visual concept that matched their expectations.
2. Constrained timeline and budget. For the first release, a strict focus on only the most important features was required due to the four-month deadline and limited funding.
Technical challenges
1. Synchronization of data between a mobile application built with Flutter and a Firestore database. The app manages the user's personalized workout and nutrition plans. Both of these must be stored in the cloud and updated often. This implies that any changes made locally in the application must also be reflected in Firestore in order to maintain real-time data consistency.
Additional challenges
1. Guided development process. As non-technical founders, the client’s team needed frequent, hands-on guidance. We maintained constant communication to keep them confident and informed at every stage.
Development
Phase / 01. Discovery and scoping
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We held initial calls to understand the client's product concept and business goals. After being provided a briefing, our team responded with a concrete project plan.
This phase defined the following:
technical solutions
project timeline
MVP feature set.
Touchlane also presented a detailed overview of possible approaches, explaining to the non-technical founders how each technology and feature wo
Phase / 02. Design and development
The project progressed on two tracks.
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Design
We created the visual design from scratch based on the client's descriptions of elegance and a non-flashy Scandinavian style. Touchlane’s design team presented key mockups for approval and refined the work until the design fully met the startup founders’ expectations.
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Development
Our engineers began building the app with Flutter and Firebase. We held regular sync-up calls after each sprint to demonstrate clickable prototypes to give the client a clear view of the progress and how the app functioned.
Phase / 03. Testing and handoff
Our team conducted internal testing of the core application. The project is now heading towards the MVP release. Furthermore, a future feedback collection period is planned. This paves the path for the following stage of development, which will involve smartwatch integrations and a larger collection of diet and exercise regimens.
Results
The app is now in a pre-release state.
Our team is on track to deliver the MVP within the four-month timeframe and within budget, as well. We have established a solid working relationship with the client: the final design and the transparent and candid communication process were praised by the startup’s founders.
This project stands as a model for how we partner with non-technical founders and combine expert design interpretation with step-by-step guidance to turn an idea into a launched product.
