Partnering with JAAQ to create a stable app that processes 60,000 requests per hour

JAAQ (Just Ask A Question) helps people access advice and information from mental health professionals and public figures in Masterclass-style video content that mimics a real conversation. We worked as the only technical partner for JAAQ, helping to design the product and deliver it from start to finish.

The challenge: Building a video content platform from scratch

JAAQ wanted to capture the feeling of having a conversation about mental health with a knowledgeable professional, and recreate it in a digital experience. To do that the company needed a platform that could do three things: 

• Host video content — to allow professionals to create, host and share video content.
• Provide digital conversations — to recreate the feeling of asking questions, and getting answers.
• Handle a lot of traffic — the website would need to be built around SEO requirements, and withstand a large volume of concurrent user requests. 

To meet these three needs, we built three interrelated platforms that work seamlessly as one:

• JAAQ member platform (CMS back office)
• JAAQ web and mobile platform (web app for end users/visitors)
• Conversation platform (a platform for creating and distributing simulations of conversations with experts on a chosen topic).

JAAQ: The new mental health social media platform

The team: 18 specialists for end-to-end product development

Our team started with two front-end developers but grew significantly in line with the client’s business model and needs as we progressed with the discovery phase. For this project we took on the role of full service software partners, taking entire ownership of the product, from designing the architecture to project management.

The results: Fast and stable foundations

In the first 24 hours of the launch of the application, 32,000 people visited the platform, with everything running seamlessly. The app is also scalable under high-volume concurrent user requests, processing 60,000 requests per hour.

How we got those results: 

Customizable conversations

Our team worked on customizable options for conversation buyers to enable branded conversation styles without requiring any additional coding or configuration by end customers. This could be embedded into any external website or application.

A user-friendly back office app

We created a back office application to help JAAQ personnel quickly and simply create, manage and distribute conversations by uploading the necessary assets for the simulation of a conversation with a mental health specialist. This made the whole process much more efficient. 

Built from scratch for full control

We built most of the applications in the suite from scratch, giving JAAQ full insights into user experience and control over all the aspects of the JAAQ suite.

The tech we used:

• C#
• .NET
• Hangfire
• Python
• Azure LUIS
• Headless Umbraco
• Publitio
• GraphQL
• Apollo
• Docker
• SQL
•  React.js
• Next.js
•  HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• React Native