L’Univers de RAPH’ : a state-of-the-art web app

About Univers de RAPH’

L’Univers de RAPH’ (Réseau d’Accompagnement des Parents d’enfants en situation de Handicap) is a platform dedicated to making daily life easier for parents in French-speaking Belgium. Its main aim is to provide a comprehensive solution listing the resources available to meet the specific needs of children with disabilities, from activities to adapted equipment and support services.

Context

Clara Vanoverschelde, a speech therapist specialising in children with disabilities, approached DJM Lab (DJM digital’s start-up support centre), with the aim of developing L’Univers de RAPH’. She wanted to create a web platform that would meet a crucial need: to centralise the resources available to parents of disabled children.

The project was therefore to create a comprehensive, user-friendly directory that would simplify the search for relevant information for families facing these daily challenges.

Technology at the service of UX/UI

Our user-centred approach was the mainstay of the design of the RAPH’ Universe platform. Right from the start of the project, we organised workshops to understand the needs of end users. These sessions enabled us to accurately identify the different target audiences, from parents of disabled children to healthcare professionals.

With this understanding of users, weprioritised the essential features for the web app’s MVP (Minimum Viable Product). This allowed us to focus on the fundamental technical elements of the platform, such as:

the resource categories with their details,
the filters and search function,
the customisation of the app for each type of profile (parent, service, professional),
as well as the creation of services and resources by providers.

These elements have ensured the effectiveness and relevance of the web app since its launch.

In terms of technologies for this project, our choice fell on a MACH architecture: a Directus headless, hosted in an Azure Kubernetes cluster and a SaaS front-end. This approach gave us remarkable flexibility in terms of user interface, while maintaining an API-first logic.

Next, we brought our ideas to life with detailed wireframes and clean designs, paying particular attention to the ergonomics and aesthetics of the interface. This combination of user-friendliness andtechnical complexity is at the heart of our approach, ensuring an optimal user experience.

Challenge

To create an intuitive, easy-to-use platform, both for parents looking for resources and for professionals wishing to share their services. The diversity of the solutions to be integrated required a flexible and adaptive approach.

Solution

To meet the client’s needs, we opted for a modern technological approach, using mainly React.js. This technology enabled us to develop a dynamic and responsive interface. At the same time, we put in place testing tools to guarantee the quality of the system, as well as user tests to gather valuable feedback and ensure that the platform meets the real needs of end users.

Key elements of the mission

Identifying and prioritising the essential functionalities for creating an MVP

Design of wireframes and intuitive designs, based on an in-depth analysis of user needs.

Implementation of a flexible structure in React.js to manage the diversity of solutions offered by the various service providers.

Real-time adaptation of the platform based on user feedback and business objectives.

Results obtained

Although the platform has only just been launched, initial feedback has been extremely positive:

100%

performance of Core Web Vitals according to Google Page Speed Insights

8/10

average score obtained by the first version of the platform during user testing

0,3s

speed index metric, indicating how quickly pages load

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Technical expertise and development of advanced functionalities

Development of the platform was carried out by our team of highly qualified developers, specialising in the most advanced technologies. Our aim was to create arobust, high-performance platform, offering a fluid and intuitive user experience.

To meet users’ needs, we implementedadvanced features such as precise filters and an advanced search function. These features enable users to find relevant information quickly, optimising their browsing experience on the platform.

To ensure optimal performance, we chose a React.js-based architecture for the front-end, offering a dynamic and responsive user interface. To complement this, we used Next.js to take advantage of its advanced features such as server-side rendering and efficient route management.

Alongside development, we integrated testing tools such as Storybook and Jest into our development process. Storybook allowed us to test and document user interface components in isolation, guaranteeing their reliability and robustness. Jest was used to implement unit tests, ensuring code quality and thestability of the platform.

This quality- and performance-focused approach enabled us to deliver a high-quality product, meeting the most stringent standards in terms of performance and functionality. Thanks to our technical expertise and commitment to excellence, we have succeeded in creating a platform that exceeds our client’s expectations and provides an exceptional experience for its users.

Co-creation and support

We are proud to support such a wonderful project and to share the values of the RAPH’ Universe. From the earliest stages of conceptualising the project, we supported and accompanied Clara, the founder, to refine her vision and mature her thinking. Our close collaboration with her was marked by a deep understanding of her needs and objectives, and we worked together to realise her vision of supporting and accompanying parents of children with disabilities.

As part of this project, a collaborative dynamic was established, encouraging exchanges and synergies between everyone involved. Our developers, designers, UX/UI specialists and project managers worked together, sharing their knowledge and ideas to achieve the set objectives. This team cohesion helped to optimise the development process and ensure the consistency and quality of the platform.

Our agile approach and ability to anticipate future needs also enabled the platform to evolve over time, based on user feedback and Clara’s business objectives.

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Initial results and bright prospects

Although the platform has only recently been launched, initial user testing has been extremely positive. By opening up the platform to selected testers, we were able to gather valuable feedback that enriched our understanding of user needs and helped to further refine the overall experience.

We guided Clara and her team through the process, setting up relevant test scenarios and constructively interpreting the feedback we received. This approach quickly identified the platform’s strengths as well as areas requiring improvement, providing a solid foundation for its future development.

The enthusiastic feedback from testers has been very encouraging, underlining the success and positive impact of the platform on its users. We are confident and convinced that l’Univers de RAPH’ will become an indispensable resource for parents of disabled children in French-speaking Belgium, offering support and solutions tailored to their specific needs.

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