Page Design

How Particle41 helped Page Design ensure a seamless user experience amid a critical hardware and software changeover

Page Design

Page Design faced a challenge when a mass-transit client changed GPS hardware, which disrupted the system informing riders of bus locations. Lacking internal resources for the technical transition, Page Design partnered with Particle41, who developed a new API and organized the software infrastructure. This seamless integration ensured a smooth transition, enabling Page Design to continue providing high-quality services and expanding client capabilities.

Challenge

Ensuring Seamless GPS Integration for Real-Time Transit Updates

For more than forty years, Page Design has helped its clients tell their stories in the most engaging, impactful way possible. With a focus on user experience, the Page Design team has extensive knowledge in defining, building, and managing brands across multiple media platforms, including web design and development, video, animation, packaging, and print.

The firm had a mass-transit client that was switching the technical hardware in its buses, which are equipped with GPS locators. The data collected from the GPS locators is used to inform riders about the precise location of buses along their routes through the client’s website.

Since the client decided to change providers of the GPS hardware and software, it turned to Page Design for help with the transition by ensuring the continuation of a flawless user experience.

To assist its client, Page Design needed heavy software development and DevOps expertise. The problem was that its staffing in those areas was light. That left the firm with the need to either hire full-time developers or find another solution.

“We initially tried to come up with a quick fix,” said Michael Hendry, Page Design’s Chief Operating Officer. “We had an existing code base that worked with the client’s old system. We thought of trying to point it at the new data source, but I could tell that it would not work. That’s when we started searching for a partner with a high degree of technical knowledge and experience.”

That search led Michael to Particle41.

“We get a lot of value out of our partnership with Particle41. They’re there whenever we need them. They’ve raised us to a level of sophistication that we couldn’t have achieved alone. It’s been a great experience.”

— Michael Hendry, Chief Operating Officer, Page Design

Approach

API Development and Software Optimization for GPS Data Integration

Particle41 was founded by industry veterans who remain passionate about what they do. When it partners with clients, the company commits a group of experienced developers and professionals to strengthen the internal teams of its clients.

“I knew within ten minutes of speaking with the Particle41 team that they had the technical chops to be able to help us out,” said Michael. “They planned to augment my staff. That model fits perfectly well with what we were trying to do.”

Partnering with Page Design, the Particle41 team created a system that Michael described as “remarkable.” Essentially, they built a new API to handle the data exchange between the new GPS system and the website. The team also organized the software and servers in such a manner that made it easy to manage on an ongoing basis.

“I was talking with the Particle41 team yesterday about other ways we can help this client grow, which is great,” said Michael. “We like having a partner that is invested in the success of our clients.”

Results

On-Time, On-Budget Delivery with Ongoing Client Growth Support

Successful Staff Augmentation

“We needed someone who was an expert in React and JavaScript since those were the languages the website was built with, but we also needed someone with strong software engineering skills. That’s exactly what we got from Particle41,” said Michael.

On-Time and On-Budget Delivery

“Not only was the development completed on time, but it was also completed on budget,” said Michael. “Being on budget was key for us, and, even though the budget was limited, we still received the Particle41 team’s full attention.”

Ongoing Partnership

“After the initial development was delivered, we started adding more features by leveraging what Particle41 built,” said Michael. “Now, the Particle41 team serves in a support capacity, so they are there whenever we need them.”