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.

MindSea developed the CanaDream Club iPad app specifically for the use of CanaDream RV rental guests and RV owners. It gives club members an easy way to find and book with CanaDream Club partners – allowing them to save on hundreds of campgrounds, attractions and hotels across Canada.

• Browse a map for campgrounds, hotels and attractions
• Filter by type of attraction
• View pricing and book attractions through the app
• View list of vouchers for booked items
• Show current location on map with GPS coordinates
• Get directions and details about all of the exciting activities available to you as you experience Canada at your own pace!

Built by MindSea in collaboration with CanaDream.

• 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

Buyers can use PropertyGuys.com Mobile to:

• search for listings near their current location, a specific address or by entering a sign number
• contact home sellers with one touch
• get driving directions from your current location to a listing
• filter search results by price and number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Sellers can monitor activity on their listings in real time.

Built by MindSea in collaboration with PropertyGuys.com

Shift Weekly for iPad is Wheelbase Media’s brand new weekly e-magazine focused on automotive news and lifestyles.

The free iPad App is the latest and best way for readers to access Wheelbase Media’s weekly e-magazine, Shift. Wheelbase Media has a 15-year history of supplying high-quality automotive news to newspapers across North America and now their content will be available directly to iPad readers on a weekly basis.

• Intuitive user interface makes it easy to browse between pages and navigate content with multi-touch gestures
• Stunning, rich layouts at your fingertips including breaking automotive news, environmental news, people profiles, travel, technical illustrations, columns, automotive puzzles (crosswords and word search), celebrity car news, and more
• Subscriptions available for full access to content

Built by MindSea in collaboration with Wheelbase Media

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.