The Project

CanaDream has spent years creating a cross-country network of partners who can offer discounts to their customers through the CanaDream Club. But they were missing a way to make it quick and simple for their Club Members to take a suggested tour or find their partners’ hotels, campgrounds, and attractions while on the road. Having to book over the phone or ahead of time online made it harder for renters to “indulge their spontaneity,” in the words of their marketing and communications director, Kerry Worth.

The challenge of the project Kerry brought to MindSea was to make it as fluid as possible to search through CanaDream’s numerous suggested tours and their Club Partners’ hundreds of discount offers. The app would have to replicate the functionality and branding of their website, while being simple and intuitive to use on an iPad.

Our Strategy

In keeping with our user-centred design approach, we focused on key use cases throughout development, designing the app around RV renters’ needs and limitations. Through close consultation with Kerry, we created a set of features that combine to make the app useful and accessible:

• A map displays CanaDream’s suggested trip routes, can provide directions to the accommodations and attractions, and shows the user’s location using GPS.

• Within the app, users can view current information, pricing and availability for nearby Club Partner attractions — and go straight to booking with them. This integrates with the existing system on CanaDream’s website, letting you save and review booking vouchers.

• An account login/logout system facilitates the booking process and protects user data on the rented iPads.

The Results

CanaDream has received great feedback from customers about the app. According to Kerry, “we get a lot of positive comments about the interface… it has a real “wow” factor…. It’s just a very elegant, slick presentation.” The iPad rental program provides a unique way for CanaDream to stand out in their industry and provide a better service.

For her part, Kerry appreciated our hands-on approach to design. We actively worked with her throughout the process, explaining what tradeoffs of budget and functionality came with one decision or another. During development, she was kept in the loop through Basecamp project management software, weekly conference calls, and video demos explaining significant new features. She told us she felt comfortable about the state of the app throughout: “Whether I was getting this video, or the phone call, or looking at Basecamp, I knew exactly where things were at.”

The satisfaction was mutual. We’re grateful to have clients like CanaDream that understand their customers and want to provide a better experience for them. And we’re pleased as ever to be able to create useful tools that make people’s lives easier and more fun.

• Accurate keyword searching
• Fast browsing
• See visual similars with a tap of the finger
• Save images in a mobile lightbox
• View past searches
• Play results back as a slideshow

Built by MindSea in collaboration with Masterfile Corporation.

• AirPrint enabled (print directly from app with compatible device and printer)
• Choose between front-facing or rear-facing camera
• Share photostrips via Email, Twitter, and Facebook
• Automatically saves strips to the app but can also export them to Camera Roll
• Photos are tagged with EXIF data including GPS location
• Customizable with different effects (b&w, color, sepia, antique), pose options (3-pose, 4-pose) and paper stocks (glossy, matte)
• Laugh-out-loud fun!

Pocketbooth HD is big brother to the wildly popular Pocketbooth for iPhone and iPod touch. While identical in functionality, Pocketbooth HD has been re-designed from the ground up to take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen.



Built by MindSea in collaboration with Project Box

Dale Zak organized the first Hackathon last July in Halifax which produced two apps, Wish You Were Here supporting Feed Nova Scotia and Meet Me Here, supporting Phoenix Youth. This year we had events in Halifax, Saskatoon and Montreal with teams working on seven new apps as well as updating our existing apps.

MindSea was proud to help organize and sponsor the Halifax event, and I am happy to report that we had over 25 people show up to donate their skills. Our push this year was to get more marketers and designers and I think we handily met that goal. Each team had a couple of designers and marketers which was really nice to see and made a big difference in our productivity. This extra horse-power allowed the Halifax team to take on four apps!

• Sushi Hiro – in support of Stepping Stone is a Sushi making game for the iPad
• Artists 4 Good – in support of Clean Nova Scotia is an iPad wallpaper app that show cases local artists
• Swipey-Tappy – in support of Leave Out Violence – a game that works similar to the simon says genre of games but using gestures and taps
• Stick Person Theatre – in support of Joints In Motion – an application that allows you to create stick person animations in interesting situations like walking on the moon

Saskatoon had a great turnout as well and they are building some great apps. Here is how Dale Zak described the apps in his post about the weekend.

WeDJ, a social DJ’ing app with a twist that will benefit Choc’laCure who help raise funds for the Saskatoon Cancer Centre, CoachPad a handy sports team sketchpad that supports North East Outreach a small non-profit charitable organization in Melfort, Saskatchewan that provides 24 hour crisis hotline and finally ShouldI, a social decision maker that will benefit Saskatoon Friendship Inn who provide breakfast and lunch for over 500 people daily.

Well, now we head in to the most important stage: finishing the apps, getting the word out and getting the proceeds into the hands of the charities. We have an extremely dedicated group of volunteers that have committed to getting these apps done, so stay tuned over the next little while and you will see some shiny new apps in the App Store.

I would like to thank Dale Zak for coming up with this crazy idea and keeping everyone motivated; his energy level and commitment to social change is unwavering.

The iHackathon in the news

For more information about Apps 4 Good and our mission check out the website at www.Apps4Good.ca

Check out the iHackathon segment in episode 214 of CommandN.tv, around the 5:00 minute mark.

Michelle Doucette took some fantastic photos for us this year.

We had some nice coverage on CBC both east and west:

• Developing iPhone Apps for Charity
• Sask. Developer builds apps for charity

Preorder sales for the iPad are estimated at 50,000 units in the first two hours in the US alone. We think this is great news! The iPad looks as if it is going to be both fun to use and interesting to work with from a development perspective. We anticipate more opportunities to grow in the app market with lots of potential for great apps that take advantage of the new possibilities the iPad presents.

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