Client's Testimonial

"Developers.dev took our outdated forum and transformed it into a vibrant, modern community hub. Their UI/UX Design Studio POD was exceptional, creating an experience our members genuinely love to use. Engagement is up 5x, and for the first time, our members are connecting on the go via the mobile app. The project has been a resounding success and a huge value-add for our members."

Maria Garcia, Chief Operating Officer

Client Overview

A prominent US-based association for marketing professionals with over 100,000 members. Their existing online community was built on a decade-old, desktop-first web forum that was difficult to use, lacked mobile access, and suffered from low engagement. They needed to modernize their digital presence to retain existing members and attract a younger demographic.

Problem

Member engagement was plummeting due to a clunky, outdated user experience. The lack of a mobile app meant the community was inaccessible to members during events and travel. The association was at risk of losing relevance and members to free, consumer-grade platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook Groups.

Key Challenges

Data Migration

Migrating over ten years of user data, forum posts, and private messages from a legacy system without data loss.

Modern UI/UX

Designing a completely new, intuitive interface that felt modern but was still easy to adopt for long-time members.

Feature Enhancement

Introducing modern social features like a personalized activity feed, real-time chat, and event integrations.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Integrating the new community platform with their existing membership management system for a seamless login experience.

Our Solution

We combined our "PHP / Laravel Revamp Pod" with our "UI/UX Design Studio" to deliver a comprehensive modernization project.

💡 User-Centric Design Sprint

We began with a one-week UI/UX Design Sprint, involving client stakeholders and a focus group of members to map out the ideal user journey and feature set.

⚙️ Laravel-based Platform

We built a new, secure, and performant web platform using the Laravel framework, which provided a robust foundation for modern social features.

📱 React Native Mobile App

A cross-platform mobile app was developed using React Native to provide a consistent, high-quality experience on both iOS and Android.

🔄 Custom Data Migration Script

Our data engineers wrote a complex, multi-stage script to carefully extract, transform, and load all legacy data into the new platform's schema, with multiple validation checks to ensure integrity.

Implementation and Execution

Phased Project Management

The project was managed in clearly defined phases: Discovery & Design, Data Migration, Web Platform Development, Mobile App Development, Integration & Testing, and Phased Rollout.

Prototype & Early Feedback

We created a clickable prototype in Figma after the design sprint, allowing for early feedback and iteration before any code was written.

Parallel Development

The API backend was built first, allowing the web and mobile teams to work in parallel.

SSO Integration

We implemented an SSO solution using SAML to connect with the client's existing Association Management Software (AMS).

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Conducted extensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with a beta group of 500 members to gather feedback and fix bugs.

Phased Rollout & Training

Launched the new platform with a comprehensive communication plan to guide members through the transition.

Positive Outcome

📈 500% Increase in Daily Engagement

The number of daily active users and content contributions increased five-fold within three months of launch.

📱 70% Mobile Adoption

Over 70% of active users now access the community via the new mobile app.

⭐ Positive Member Feedback

Member satisfaction scores related to the online community increased by over 60%.

⚙️ Streamlined Administration

The new platform provided powerful, easy-to-use tools for community managers, reducing their administrative workload by 30%.

Why Choose Us

🏛️ Expertise in Legacy System Modernization

We have a successful track record of executing complex, large-scale legacy migration projects.

🎨 World-Class UI/UX Design

World-Class UI/UX Design

🔄 Complex Data Migration Capabilities

Complex Data Migration Capabilities

🔗 Seamless SSO/API Integration

Seamless SSO/API Integration

📲 Cross-Platform Mobile Development

Cross-Platform Mobile Development

🗓️ Dedicated Project Management

Dedicated Project Management

🤝 Collaborative, User-Focused Approach

Collaborative, User-Focused Approach

🔒 Secure and Maintainable Codebase

Secure and Maintainable Codebase

🌟 Long-term Partnership and Support

Long-term Partnership and Support

Conclusion

This project highlights our ability to not only build new products but also breathe new life into existing digital assets. By focusing on the user experience and executing a complex technical migration flawlessly, Developers.dev helped the association secure its position as the central hub for its industry, dramatically increasing member value and ensuring its relevance for years to come.

Revitalizing an Aging Online Community with a Modern, Mobile-First Platform

Industry Professional Associations / Non-Profit