all case studies
Our client, Renewed Vision, is a leading provider of live production and presentation software. As part of their suite of products, Renewed Vision's ProContent offers premiere stock videos, images, templates, and graphics created for the unique needs of churches. These stock resources are easy to update and specially tailored to the needs of a church context. Fueled by a mission to break away from the mundane, ProContent provides a refreshing dose of creativity into the industry, offering churches vibrant and contemporary visual options.
Seeking to elevate ProContent's online presence, Renewed Vision approached us with a pressing need for a website overhaul. ProContent's existing platform did not allow them to have all of the features and functionality they needed to grow into a larger customer audience. Their users needed quick, intuitive search capabilities and streamlined subscription-based payments. Renewed Vision trusted us to transform their digital landscape and better serve their clientele.
Vision
- Renewed Vision sought a dependable partner to streamline subscription payments.
- Create an easy and intuitive website search to help their users quickly find relevant images and templates.
- High-end previews of footage, programmatically generated to reduce level of effort for a media rich user experience.
- Integration with desktop software used by churches to manage downloaded assets from the subscription service.
Victory
- We created a fresh, more modern look and feel for their site that was more aligned with their brand vision.
- < 6ms search response times with world-class search service that allows for exceptional filtering.
- Subscriptions for the stock content are now effortlessly managed and easily maintained.
- Robust browsing feature developed, empowering users to discover content within specific categories, even if they were uncertain about what to search for.
- Fast and secure checkout process implemented for users using Stripe.
Client Industry
Stock Footage Subscription Service
Platform
Website
Services Performed
UI/UX Design,Web Development,QA,Project Management
Technology
- 0ms
average search response time
- 0+
assets cataloged and searchable
- 0+
unique downloadable files
I was impressed by Black Airplane's smart teammates who understood us and communicated well.
They did a great job responding to our needs, principals at the company got involved to meet our aggressive deadline. They have good project management and are organized.
Jonathan Sheehan
President & COO, Renewed Vision
Vision
Mission Brief
As a niche industry business, Renewed Vision identified a demand within churches for accessible modern stock images and templates. After recognizing the need, they proactively created fresh content tailored for use during worship services and more.
Taking it a step further, they wanted to streamline the content's accessibility by enhancing sorting and browsing capabilities, while also introducing a convenient annual subscription model for unlimited yearly downloads, enhancing overall user value.
Challenges
- ProContent has a library of millions of files that needed to be organized, ingested, and made searchable. An individual asset may have multiple downloads associated with it of varying quality and formats.
- Users expect a fast and reliable search experience, even if they only had a vague idea of what they were looking for.
- A separate desktop application used by many churches needed to integrate seamlessly with our infrastructure. The desktop app was undergoing a major update in parallel to the website project, meaning we needed to collaborate carefully with stakeholders to ensure a successful launch.
- A key feature we wanted to implement was a way for users to hover over an image and see a preview of the video. With the size of the video library, we needed to generate these previews programmatically to reduce the level of effort to maintain the media rich user experience.
Why Black Airplane
Our client needed a partner they could trust to implement a secure payment system without disrupting their current model and revenue. Being experts in implementing payment solutions such as Stripe, we had the experience to deliver a subscription system that facilitated a fast and user-friendly purchase pathway.
The need for powerful, fast search is a common problem we need to solve for. From previous experience, we knew exactly how to implement a world-class search experience that would provide millisecond response times and allow for exceptional browsing and filtering.
Flight Plan
Design
Right from the start, our client set clear expectations for functionality: a fast and user-friendly search experience, an intuitive browsing system, and seamless subscription payment management. Furthermore, Renewed Vision expected a highly visual user interface that made a strong impression with users and coupled well with its suite of software products. We aligned as a cross-functional team around these objectives and got to work.
Discovery & Wireframes
Since the client had an existing website when they approached us, we were able to quickly jump right into wireframing, spending minimal time in this phase. Leveraging the previous website as a valuable reference for the content we were developing, we efficiently progressed through both discovery and wireframing stages before transitioning to high-fidelity designs.
During the wireframe phase, the client had valuable feedback that was clear and concise, helping move the project along rapidly. Weekly stakeholder meetings were held to foster collaboration and gather feedback, ensuring alignment with user needs and project goals.
Most of our time during this phase was spent building a large mega navigation menu to allow users to more quickly find the right content for their needs. Additionally, we dedicated time to planning and organizing the architecture of the browse page.
High Fidelity Visual Designs
The client emphasized the importance of a sophisticated design aesthetic that aligned with the modern look and feel of their stock content they sell. Additionally, they anticipate the website's expansion and scalability, requiring a timeless design that eliminates the need for frequent updates, but allows them to continue to grow and add new content easily.
Development Support, Handoff, and Documentation
One of our development team members actively participated in every design meeting with the client. The inclusion of a developer in these discussions served to offer valuable technical insights and ensure clear expectations regarding feasibility and direction. This collaborative approach facilitated a seamless handoff.
Development
Leveraging Algolia
We maximized user experience by leveraging Algolia for robust content search capabilities. This integration ensured swift and accurate results, enhancing user satisfaction. We were able to collaborate with stakeholders to tag every asset in the library with metadata that would allow for quick and accurate search results.
Front-End Systems
We employed React as our primary tool for building the front-end. React was a natural choice due to its reputation for facilitating rapid front-end development. React has proven time and time again to serve as a strong foundation for leading web apps, and we were confident it would serve us well for years to come.
A common hurdle within the stock footage industry is providing users with an accurate preview of their potential downloads, especially when dealing with large video files that can span gigabytes—making previews essential to avoid wasting users’ time and bandwidth.
Faced with a library of millions of downloads and a lack of pre-existing video previews, manually creating these was impractical. To address this, we partnered with Mux to develop a system capable of automatically generating .gif previews for each asset. This ensured that users would have an exceptional experience from the outset by pre-generating preview animations for nearly every file in the system before its launch.
Stripe Integration
Integrating with Stripe for managing subscriptions was a pivotal aspect of facilitating seamless transactions. Recognized as an industry standard and trusted service, Stripe provided the reliability and security essential for handling sensitive payment information.
To enhance our subscription management system further, we leveraged the TaxJar Stripe integration. This integration not only streamlined the process but also ensured quick accuracy in pricing calculations across different states. By integrating TaxJar, we were able to address complex taxation requirements efficiently, enhancing the overall user experience.
Moreover, as a trusted Stripe technology partner, we were able to leverage our expertise to optimize the integration process, ensuring smooth functionality and reliability for our users.
Learn more about our Partnership with Stripe
Laravel Nova Admin System
We implemented Laravel Nova to grant our client granular access and control over system modifications. This empowered content managers and support channels with comprehensive tools to oversee subscriptions and deliver elevated levels of customer support.
Victory
Final Results
Our team partnered closely with Renewed Vision to rebuild and modernize ProContent, a key product in their software suite. We updated the appearance of their site, prioritizing user experience (UX) through intuitive, user-friendly design as well as optimized content library search performance.
The core of this digital product is a vast content library their customers rely on weekly. We delivered a fresh, robust content browsing feature, and by leveraging Algolia search technology, users can quickly locate the content they need with ease.
The new platform launched on time for an important deadline, and has been a massive success for our client. User engagement has increased dramatically, and subscription growth has exceeded expectations.
Technology Integrations
When it came time to build the new subscription management service, we leveraged Stripe technology to ensure secure and efficient transactions. With Stripe, their team can now easily manage subscriptions and provide better customer support.
Finally, this is only one product in their suite. We built an API endpoint to support their desktop software to enable seamless content browsing and access for software users in their flagship product. This highlights our commitment to delivering comprehensive solutions that serve businesses even beyond immediate needs.
Collaborative Success
We are immensely proud of our collaboration with Renewed Vision on the ProContent platform, where our team's dedication and expertise have brought about transformative outcomes. We are excited about the long-term benefits this will continue to offer their users, with seamless experiences and enriched content access for years to come.
