product design and development

Melanence

A unique e-learning platform for people of color

overview

Melanence is an e-learning platform helping people of color develop new skills and monetize their knowledge. It’s a unique and welcoming community for self-education and a convenient tool for career advancement and personal growth.

Client nameJuan Young
IndustryE-learning
LocationUSA

project hilights

PlatformWeb

technology stack

React.js
TypeScript
Python
Django
AWS

Challenge

Juan Young wanted to build an e-learning platform with a unique user interface (UI) and a complex feature set to ensure brand recognition. To do this, he needed a custom solution. While Juan had an overall idea for the platform, he didn’t have the technical expertise to build it. So he reached out to Riseapps. We helped Juan develop Melanence from start to finish.
The Riseapps team was responsible for:
  • ‎Running the estimation and discovery phase
  • ‎Setting up an efficient development workflow
  • ‎Designing and wireframing the website from scratch
  • ‎Developing the MVP for the e-learning platform
  • ‎Ensuring platform scalability
  • ‎Building a separate WordPress site for marketing purposes

Solutions

This was a full-cycle development project, so we started with an estimation and discovery phase. Based on Juan’s needs, we created a project outline and sprint schedule. We also prepared backlog tasks, functional requirements, and technical documentation.
Once our team had the project plan in place, work on Melanence began. We used Scrum, an agile framework for creating and delivering complex products. Using this development methodology allowed us to save time and begin platform development while we were still finishing the discovery phase. We first designed the website’s user interface and user experience (UI/UX). To ensure usability, we followed a familiar layout for e-learning websites (with a content library, separate course pages, assessments, etc.). We chose a simple color palette and added many graphics to make the website pleasant to look at and use.
Melanence is easy to navigate and has all the functionality students and teachers expect from an e-learning platform.

We made sure that the product is carefully thought out to the smallest detail, conducted business analysis and compiled the necessary project documentation

We have created a full-fledged design system for creating high-quality page templates for all resolutions

The home page layout allows a user to continue watching a course, search for a new course, and explore personalized recommendations.

On each course page, we provide a course description, lesson breakdown, reviews, and complete course information.

We added many video player settings including widescreen/full-screen mode, playback speed, and subtitles for efficient learning.

This section provides students with information about Melanence instructors and the courses they offer.

We made sure instructors can easily create new courses, add learning materials, and publish them after platform admin approval.

We set up a separate website for marketing and advertising to help our client promote the platform and attract the first instructors and students.

When the design was completed, we began developing the minimum viable product, or MVP. Our team used many solutions to make the website as convenient and high-performance as possible.
Tech Solutions
  • TypeScript and React.js on the front end along with the Redux-saga library for efficient web app feature management
  • Python and Django on the back end for maximum security and stability
  • AWS and Docker on the back end to ensure scalability
  • A REST API for streamlined data management
  • PayPal integration for fast and secure payments
  • Social sign-in for quick access to the website
  • Course search powered by Elasticsearch to offer better suggestions
  • Video player settings like playback speed to let users learn at their own pace

Results

Our Riseapps team helped Juan create a convenient and reliable e-learning platform. Melanence connects educators with those interested in acquiring new skills. The platform’s intuitive interface and high-quality courses ensure an excellent user experience.
In just several months, Melanence has collected over $100,000 in venture funding. As of January 2021, the platform was valued at around $4.5 million.
Riseapps has a clear understanding of what works when it comes to the flow of the technical aspect. They didn’t just create what we told them to but offered feedback and suggestions on how to make the product even better. Riseapps’ ability to accurately deliver within a tight time frame is really exceptional. They’re also strong with QA and always triple-checked their work to ensure quality. Their communication was also excellent. We always had access to them when we needed them.

Juan Young

CEO Melanence

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