Planning, Development and App Creation for Snowball

Our software team started the app-creation process with several idea-generation sessions, aiming to begin with a strong foundation of possibilities. These sessions were held both with Simon, and internally, to collate all the best ideas which we thought were essential for the app to thrive.

One of the first hurdles to overcome was the app’s name. The name is always such a huge part of any brand, so we wanted to make sure we got it right. In fact, our idea-generating sessions were so successful, we also mapped out phase 2 and 3 of the app build! We were, you might say, on a roll!

Once we had an understanding of what needed to go into the app, the software team started to create the “wireframes”. These are the app’s framework; they lay out how the different functionality aspects will look on each screen.

After we were happy that the wireframes included everything on our list of requirements, we started to overlay the final design on top.

During the design stage, we made sure the app itself was fully accessible, using specific colours and fonts to create an easier experience for users with disabilities such as visual impairment.

Before sending the app off to our development team, we created a full end-to-end prototype. This was fully interactive and allowed Simon to navigate through the whole thing as if he were using the final app.

We always view this as a crucial final step in the design phase, making it easy for clients to check that they are completely happy with the app’s appearance and usability.

After the designs were signed off, we handed the project over to the development team. This is when everything really started coming together; they got to work building the app and the accompanying customer relationship management system (CRM).

Module by module, the app was released back to our software team to test. Every time we received a module, we became more and more excited for the final product to be delivered.

Snowball is an innovative mobile platform designed to empower the disabled community by providing a central hub for reliable, user-driven accessibility information. The app enables users to discover, review, and share insights about venues and services based on their accessibility standards.

Key features include:

• Community-Driven Reviews
  Users can contribute by adding and reviewing any venue, rating them on a tier of accessibility. This crowdsourced approach ensures that information stays relevant, transparent, and reflective of real experiences.

• Verified ‘Snowball Assessments’
  Beyond user reviews, Snowball conducts its own professional assessments of venues’ accessibility, known as Snowball Assessments. Each assessed venue receives an official Snowball Accessibility Rating, offering an objective measure of inclusivity that users can easily view within the app.

• Interactive Accessibility Map
  The app includes an intuitive, interactive map that allows users to locate nearby accessible venues, restrooms, fuel stations, and parking spaces in real time. This feature helps users plan journeys with confidence and ease.

Together, these tools make Snowball a trusted and comprehensive resource, helping to remove uncertainty and promote equal access in everyday life for people with disabilities.