Butn

But-n.com is a social network developed for business travelers. I was hired to turn the project around after initial development had stalled and the project was in free-fall having already consumed a large amount of time and money.

Project Overview

But-n.com is a social network developed for business travelers. I was hired to turn the project around after initial development had stalled and the project was in free-fall having already consumed a large amount of time and money.

Objectives

The client, Fedee Services Ltd; required a web application that allowed members to form connections based on their current or preferred locations. The users could then message one another to arrange meetings and create events where participants could sign up for group meetings.

What I did

After evaluating the code-base and various design elements I produced a thorough project plan of the milestones required to the get the product launched in an efficient and timely manner. Working with  a logo designer and various stakeholders; I took the technical and creative lead on the project.

The PHP code powering the site had some fairly large problems and much of the site functionality was either broken or non-existent. My first task was to get the code-base stable and the basic social network functionality in place so additional features could then be developed. Once the basic functionality of the site was working I quickly developed some really great features such as geographic filtering of users and event management, these were developed using a mixture of PHP, JQuery and MySQL.

ButN uses many bespoke elements such as email integration which is handled by Amazon SES, this provided a cost effective way of sending emails to users whilst maintaining the security and stablility of the server.

When I picked up the project, the design was lacking and many elements were either missing or needed improvement such as logo, home page and user interface interface. Working with another designer we created a brand logo whilst I designed the site home page and social network user interface.

Results

The ButN beta product was successfully launched on time and on budget. The client now has a stable social network platform from which to launch future initiatives and has an active user base of business professionals who use the service on a regular basis.

ButN met all project requirements and offers event creation, personal schedule / calendar management, personal messaging, social connections and various filtering capabilities based on location. These features are extremely useful for business travelers who often lead isolated lives moving form city to city with little or no engagement with their surroundings and the people around them. My client has extensive plans for the future development of butN and the exciting location-based technology that powers the social networking service.

Testimonial

There are few better web developers or IT problem solvers than Justin, he is also a skilled creative designer. He took a failing project over and turned it into a successful one within three months. The previous developers had taken six months to create a poorly developed mess. Justin had to unravel it all and find fixes for so many things.  He has good knowledge of business and will provide you with a solution that fits your needs. Once he knows where you want to go and what you want to achieve he will find you the best path forward.

– Robin Chater | Secretary-General at The Federation of International Employers (FedEE)