Development of a Xamarin-based Mobile App for Creating Phone Case Designs

Summary

An American mobile software company was building Xamarin iOS and Android apps for designing custom phone cases, with a deadline to demo at an international expo — but the original team had fallen behind. INNERLUXES stepped in to deliver the application architecture, the Microsoft Azure back end, and the design editor in three months. Users can pick a template that auto-matches their phone model or design their own from uploaded images, then order a print in-app and track it via push notifications. The app was well received at the expo and is now rated 4+ on both stores.

About the Client

The Client is an American mobile software company promoting a forward-looking approach to cross-platform development.

A Behind-Schedule App With an Expo Deadline

In the winter of 2016, the Client launched development of Xamarin-based iOS and Android apps for creating individual phone case designs. The app was due to be showcased at an international mobile app expo that spring, but the initial development team was behind schedule. The Client contacted INNERLUXES for help with the application architecture, the design editor, and the back-end implementation.

Architecture, Azure Back End, and a Design Editor in Three Months

Over three months, INNERLUXES delivered the Microsoft Azure back end, the application architecture, and the design editor, built around two ways to create a case and a smooth path to print:

• Template-based design — for users who pick a phone case template from the catalog, the app automatically identifies the phone model and tailors the case parameters accordingly.
• Custom design editor — users can design a unique template by uploading images in a wide range of supported formats, then scale, move, or crop them to taste.
• In-app print ordering — when a design is ready, the user sends it for print to the Client directly from the app; the request arrives at the back end on the Client's premises and is processed there.
• Order tracking — once the case is printed, the app shows push notifications to keep the user informed about order and delivery status.

A Well-Received, Top-Rated App

• INNERLUXES helped the Client deliver a handy phone case styling tool for Android and iOS.
• The application was met with positive reviews at the expo.
• It is now rated 4+ on both Google Play and the App Store.

Technologies and Tools

Android/iOS app: Xamarin.Forms, Xamarin.iOS (SDK), Xamarin.Android (SDK), Xamarin.TestCloud, HockeyApp, Bitrise, Swagger, Stripe, SQLite, SVG, HTTPWebService, push notifications.

Back end: Azure API App, ASP.NET Web API 2.2 + OData, ASP.NET SignalR, Stripe, Swashbuckle (Swagger), Twilio, SendGrid, Entity Framework 6, Azure Table Storage, Azure Blob Storage.