Inkubate

Introduction:

The purpose of this document is to highlight the process and results of a real-world implementation of a web application by team Appsbee. The document provides a virtual guidance on how solutions were provided to every individual requirement, making Inkubate a global product.

Project Requirements:

The primary requirement of Inkubate was to build a unanimous web platform that would commercialize the way novice writers and publishers will connect, and share their work. Inkubate is expected to be a convenient network that will provide a recognition to the work of new writers. The performance requirements of Inkubate was expected to be easy and professional at the same time. It’s a step by step process that allows a writer to upload, curate, maintain their work and categorize their content. With its modern functionality such as categorize, edit, and pitch fresh content, Inkubate makes uploading easy for aspiring writers and established authors. Inkubate’s performance depends entirely upon the tools that enable agents, editors and publishers to easily discover and market successful projects that sell. Inkubate was required to be fast, easily accessible, reliable platform; that would allow either party to be a significant part of the ecosystem.

The greatest challenge for Appsbee while working on the project was to build an online platform that:
  • Was easy to access and would fetch real time feeds
  • Could handle large size database

The project for Inkubate was built previously in ASP.net and SQL database. It was a big time risk and challenge for the Appsbee team to convert the entire project into PHP and incorporate the real data into MySQL. The website requirement constantly changed, real time updates were fed into it, to which the Appsbee team had to deliver their best hand forward, to make the concept a global product.

Project Details:

Inkubate is a Pittsburgh, U.S.A based client, who envisioned a very interactive web platform for authors and publishers worldwide. Inkubate is a professional B2B network for the producers and procurers of creative content to connect, and commercialize their work. The goal is to build a fast and convenient network, that will seamlessly link everyone within the same publishing ecosystem. Each of the site’s aspect is data driven which makes it easy for either party to stay updated. The intended outcome is to allow novice writers and publishing houses to come in one unanimous web platform, that will help them connect and share their work better.

Significant Features Developed by Appsbee:

  • The most significant feature of Inkubate is that every aspect of the product is data driven. Whether it be viewers, searches, or downloads, every segment is driven by real time data, which allows the writers to stay updated with their work and act accordingly for their next project. The data features enable a registered writer/ publisher to see almost everything that happens with their uploaded contents. Until Inkubate happened, there was hardly any product that could guide any writer or publisher so well in the real time market. Appsbee team had modernized the way a writer’s content could be viewed and helped them accelerate in the real market, getting access to the right sources.
  • Based on the present architecture and data flow of Inkubate, the architects of Appsbee designed the solution which will seamlessly meet the market requirements. The solutions included some vital features-
    • Dashboard- The ‘Dashboard’ feature is the most significant feature of Inkubate, which is developed in a very simplified manner. The dashboard provides the feeds/ notifications on every action that takes place. The publisher’s dashboard is further divided into 3 parts- Authors, Editors, and Publishers, which is jointly known as AEP. This is done mainly to simplify the engagement and help the users land on locations that are productive to them.
    • PitchIts- The PitchIt feature enables a writer to compose a very short “pitch”, that feeds directly to the dashboards of agents, editors, and publishers who have opted in to receive PitchIts notifications. These feeds will be click-able and deliver back to the work from which PitchIt feed originated.
    • Who’s Looking- This feature is where the data driven functionality comes into existence the most. The feature is developed mainly to help writers stay updated with their works. It shows the numbers of visits made to their profile, number of downloads made within their works, and the number of times their works have made to the search list. The feature also allows publishers to bookmark works of any writers, which functions under the ‘Bookshelf Titles’ functionality.
    • Discovery- This feature enables a publisher to filter their searches and land on profiles/ works as per requirements. It allows a publisher to filter searches by type of work, format of the doc, genre of the content, as well as previously saved works.