Project Details
Social Pods
Social Pods is a website-based platform designed to cater to two distinct user groups: facilitators and end users. Built with technologies such as ReactJs, Bootstrap, BigBlueMeeting, and React Router DOM, it offers an enhanced user experience and robust functionality.
End users pay a subscription fee to register on the platform, unlocking profile personalisation and becoming subscribers. After subscribing, facilitators send out podcast schedules, keeping users engaged and informed. Timely notifications are delivered through BigBlueMeeting, which integrates with React via API using a third-party plugin to enable meeting functionalities.
This two-way interaction allows end users to request screen sharing and speaking time with facilitators, ensuring an interactive experience. Auto-recurring payments are set up for users, and if insufficient funds are detected, users risk losing their subscription and will be transitioned to ordinary status until payment is renewed manually.
Key Obstacles
The development team faced several challenges during the project, particularly with BigBlueMeeting integration, customisation of its features, and designing effective email templates
- BigBlueMeeting integration
- BigBlueMeeting customization
- Email template design
BigBlueMeeting Integration:
Integration with BigBlueMeeting posed significant issues, disrupting the smooth functionality and user interactions expected from the platform.
BigBlueMeeting Customisation:
The team encountered difficulties customising BigBlueMeeting to meet the specific needs of Social Pods, requiring extensive work to align it with user requirements.
Email Template Design:
Designing email templates that aligned with the brand standards while engaging users proved to be a complex challenge, requiring close attention to detail.
Solutions
To resolve the integration challenges, the team enhanced the integration protocols and employed targeted troubleshooting, effectively resolving the BigBlueMeeting integration issues. This improved the platform's functionality and user interaction.
A flexible approach was adopted to customise BigBlueMeeting, leveraging an iterative design process and incorporating user feedback to ensure the platform met the specific needs of the users.
The design process for email templates was streamlined by collaborating closely with stakeholders, ensuring that the templates aligned with brand standards while boosting user engagement.
Result
Through targeted troubleshooting and improved integration protocols, the BigBlueMeeting issues were resolved, resulting in enhanced user interactions and improved functionality across the platform.
Social Pods utilised a flexible, iterative approach, driven by user feedback, to customise BigBlueMeeting to meet user expectations. The platform delivered a seamless experience, with users expressing high satisfaction and engagement. The streamlined email template design process ensured that templates adhered to brand standards, maintaining consistency and increasing user interaction, further elevating the platform’s effectiveness and appeal.