A Two-Sided Photo Requesting Marketplace

elasticsearch

engine

digital asset

management

Custom

E-COMMERCE ENGINE

Services

Custom Software Development, Design, E-Commerce Development

Industries

E-Commerce

Technologies

Elasticsearch, HTML5/CSS3, JavaScript, MongoDB, PHP5/PHP7

About Project

Snapwi.re is a two-sided photo marketplace that connects photographers with businesses and brands looking for high-quality, custom imagery. By allowing buyers to post photo briefs at a set price, the platform enables photographers to submit their best work, ensuring unique, high-quality content while offering a new revenue stream for creatives.

Objectives

Transition Snapwi.re’s development to a dedicated eCommerce web development company.
Re-architect the codebase for improved scalability and future expansion.
Develop a powerful digital asset management system for storing, searching, and selling millions of images.
Implement an Agile Scrum workflow to enhance efficiency and streamline feature development.

Challenges

Solutions

Challenges

Scaling a Two-Sided Marketplace

Snapwi.re needed a platform capable of handling large-scale media uploads, search functionality, and seamless transactions for thousands of photographers and buyers working with a specialized eCommerce web development company.

Solutions

Custom Development Partnership

Spiral Scout built a highly scalable architecture, leveraging Elasticsearch and MongoDB to ensure fast search, retrieval, and processing of millions of images.

Challenges

Legacy Code and Performance Bottlenecks

The existing platform suffered from technical debt, limiting the ability to introduce new features efficiently.

Solutions

Codebase Re-Architecture

Our team refactored and optimized the codebase, resolving bottlenecks and implementing a modular architecture to support future feature development.

Challenges

Enhancing the Photographer and Buyer Experience

Snapwi.re required an intuitive user experience that simplified how buyers requested photos and how photographers submitted content.

Solutions

Redesigned User Experience

We redesigned the user workflow, improving the photo submission process, payment handling, and real-time updates, making it seamless for both parties.

Challenges

Development Workflow Inefficiencies

The previous development cycle lacked agility, making iteration slow.

Solutions

Agile Scrum Workflow

Spiral Scout implemented Agile Scrum, introducing structured sprints, real-time feedback loops, and faster deployments to accelerate feature releases.

Project strategy

Overview of the critical steps that shaped the project’s success and addressed its key challenges.

Comprehensive Codebase Management

Spiral Scout took full control of Snapwi.re’s codebase, addressing documentation gaps and resolving critical technical issues while adding new capabilities to improve stability.

Agile Development Process

To enhance efficiency and scalability, we introduced Agile Scrum workflows, allowing Snapwi.re to prioritize features and quickly respond to market needs.

Digital Asset Management System Development

We built a robust DAM system to manage millions of digital assets, integrating Elasticsearch for advanced search and MongoDB for optimized data handling, ensuring lightning-fast performance.

Project results

Snapwi.re now supports over 250,000 photographers across 160 countries, enabling real-time photo submissions and sales. Buyers can instantly access unique, high-quality images, and photographers earn up to 70% when their photos are selected. This collaboration with Spiral Scout has led to industry recognition and a seamless, high-performance marketplace that continues to grow.

deliverables

Specialized Development Partnership: Transitioned Snapwi.re’s technical team to Spiral Scout, providing dedicated development support.
Re-Architected Codebase: Addressed legacy code issues and integrated new features to support growth.
Agile Scrum Workflow Implementation: Enhanced development efficiency through a structured Agile process.