Maintain Zooclub as a live(ly) website. Add new functionality to retain and gain user base. We had to implement: forums, advanced search/filtering systems, feeds, statistics, tag-cloud, games, albums, e-card generator, blog-like diaries.

Client

Zooplus, Germany

Challenges

• e-card creation: image handling on the server side comes with a very high load
• inappropriate content handling
• release handling (we had to handle a regular release system for updates)

Solution

• for e-card creation we used ImageMagick
• devised a user reporting system and a set of rules for marking inappropriate content.
• Implemented a release procedure (that involves prerelease testing and a maximum 30 minutes downtime at go-live)

Website online at http://www.myzooclub.com/.

Timeframe

December 2007 – present

zooclub.de was an already established social network website where pet owners could interact and exchange ideas and experiences about their pets. It’s role is to be a support site for zooplus.de. Zooclub was developed in Java + JSP + Postgres. The previous developer was not available any more and somebody needed to take over the project.

Client

Zooplus, Germany

Challenges

• Understanding the existing code
• Database architecture was not respecting the website’s need any more
• Little throughput for Java (at the time)

Solution

Reimplementation of the website, using PHP, MySql and Smarty.

Added several other functions, such as filtering by the animals, by the visitor’s location and “remember login”. Also, the new platform allows adding new functionality quite easy.

Website is online at http://www.myzooclub.com/.

Timeframe

August-November, 2007

The task was to update the Xerox layout according to the new Corporate Identity rules. Additionally, the Moldavian version of the website had to be integrated, to be similar to the Romanian version, with the exception of the Partners section.

Administration had to be as simple as possible, of course.

Client

Xerox Romania

Challenges

Previous version of the website did not have a clear separation between logic and layout. The copywriting team was already accustomed to the existing administration interface.

Websites at http://www.xerox.ro, http://www.xerox.md

Solution

We kept the existing admin interface for the website, but changed the public section. We opted for a clear distinction between logic and layout. We developed an “open” architecture, allowing us to easily add new features to the website.

Timeframe

February-March, 2008