Better Experience, Less Complexity

Using agile methods and rapid prototyping, we found a streamlined UX solution that improved the experience for all user groups. A common codebase enables fast releases for multiple mobile platforms.

“I explored freelance and company-based options and chose Oivan due to the experience and knowledge they offered. While only in a soft-launch phase, the app received acquisition requests, which speaks to the quality that Oivan delivered. The team was punctual, helpful, and accommodating with change requests.”

Founder of KATATIB

The Client

KATATIB is a mobile app that connects teachers and students who are looking for a tutor in a specific subject such as languages, Holy Quran and Saudi syllabus. The app enables teachers to add their own profiles to the service and choose which subjects they are proficient to teach. Students can then easily find and book private lessons, for example to prepare for a major exam.

The name of the app comes from an old Arabic word “katatib” (singular “kuttab”) meaning places where children received teaching in the old days. The KATATIB marketplace has initially been launched in the Saudi Arabian market with plans to expand to the neighboring countries in the Middle East in the future.

Saudi Arabia ranks 3rd globally for smartphone use, with almost 75 percent of the population using smart mobile devices. To make sure that both teachers and students get the best possible experience from KATATIB, it was clear from the beginning that the service should be developed as a mobile app.

The development project was started in early summer 2017. After initial brainstorming sessions with the client, a decision was made to implement the app using React Native. This allowed rapid development and prototyping, targeting both key platforms, iOS and Android with a single unified codebase.

The Solution

Early in the development project we noticed that it would improve usability and user experience to split functionalities for students and teachers into two separate applications. This reduced the complexity of the user interface and made it possible to focus on key use cases for both user groups separately.

In their app, teachers can create their own profiles and choose which subjects they are proficient and qualified to teach. KATATIB verifies each registered teacher profile to ensure their degree and qualifications match the subjects they would like to teach. Respectively using their dedicated app, students can search and book these qualified teachers to give them tutoring in any subject included in the app.