Creating a Marketplace for Biotechnology Freelancers

Overview

Biotechnology Open Lab Gate (BOLG) is a Canadian company looking to provide a marketplace for freelance Biotechnology experts. From companies looking to hire an outside consultant to individual freelancers looking for work, BOLG aims to be the one-stop shop for biotechnology needs.

There is a need for biotechnology experts to provide their services on an open marketplace. We’ve created a platform where users can upload their resumes, experience, and services offered. From there, they can look for work or companies can find them for contracts.

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The challenge

BOLG aimed to create a marketplace that not only met the specific needs of the biotechnology sector but also set new standards for functionality, security, and user experience in freelance marketplaces.

Interface Design: Balancing Aesthetics and Usability

The design needed to be intuitive enough for a diverse user base, including companies seeking biotech expertise and freelancers offering their skills.

Secure Platform for Sensitive Information

Handling sensitive information such as CVs and personal data was a significant concern. BOLG needed to establish robust security measures to protect user data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Hosting Optimization for Cost-Effectiveness

Another challenge was optimizing the platform's hosting environment to minimize maintenance costs without compromising performance.

Quality Assurance for Reliability

To ensure the platform supported its users' livelihoods without fail, we placed a high priority on comprehensive quality assurance (QA) testing. This phase was crucial to identifying and fixing any bugs before launch.

The solutions

Designing an Intuitive, Work-Focused Interface

To create a platform that caters specifically to the needs of the biotechnology community, BOLG’s solution began with the development of an interface that prioritizes simplicity and functionality. This approach aimed to facilitate seamless interactions for users. The design team struck a balance between creating an engaging visual experience and maintaining clarity, all by using visuals that align with BOLG’s branding.

Integration of Security Measures

To protect contract details, the platform incorporates advanced encryption and secure access controls, ensuring that contracts are accessible only to the relevant parties. The platform not only secures CV details through encryption but also implements a verification process. This process helps maintain the integrity of the professional network by ensuring that credentials are legitimate.

Analytical Insights and AWS Optimization

To address concerns about maintenance costs, BOLG leveraged AWS’s capabilities for efficient hosting and infrastructure management utilizing services like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) alongside Docker, offering a standardized unit for software deployment, together facilitating optimized, scalable, and efficient application deployment on AWS.

Ensuring a High Quality Standard:

The QA team implemented a rigorous schedule of regression testing to ensure that updates and new features did not interfere with the platform’s existing functionality. Bug finding sessions were organized to identify and resolve potential issues, especially those arising from edge cases, thus maintaining a high standard of reliability.

Technologies

Exceptional UI and UX: The core of BOLG’s marketplace platform is its dedication to delivering an outstanding user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), prioritizing intuitive design and user satisfaction.
Development as a Progressive Web App (PWA): The decision to develop the platform as a Progressive Web App (PWA) reflects BOLG’s ambition to combine the best aspects of web and mobile app functionalities. PWAs are designed to provide a seamless user experience across various devices.
Utilizing PHP/Laravel and VueJS: For its technology stack, BOLG chose PHP/Laravel and VueJS, aiming to leverage these technologies for their robust capabilities in creating dynamic and responsive web applications.
Hosting on Amazon Web Services (AWS): In partnership with BOLG, Amazon Web Services (AWS) was selected for hosting the platform. This choice was motivated by AWS’s proven scalability, reliability, and comprehensive range of cloud computing services, ensuring a stable and scalable infrastructure.

The Team

The project was executed by a compact team consisting of UI/UX designers for platform aesthetics and usability, a dual-role Development lead who also managed the project, a DevOps specialist for infrastructure setup and maintenance, and a Quality Assurance team to ensure the platform’s optimal performance and reliability. This collaborative effort ensured a seamless, user-friendly, and high-quality biotechnology marketplace platform.