'Everyday’ photo app conquers hearts and the world

PicYourMoment

Challenge

One photo every day at an unexpected moment. That's the concept of PicYourMoment (PYM). This sympathetic mobile app allows users to capture their real everyday life. A spontaneous and honest diary in photos, with a caption.

PicYourMoment is Thomas Boswinkel’s company. The Driebergen-based publisher explains: "The original concept was conceived by Studio Room, a design agency that also developed LINDA magazine. It was intended to inspire customers and show that the studio had more to offer than just print. I was captivated by the idea: that the unexpected moment gives you a series of photos that capture the random but real life. Different from the posed photos that appear on social media. PYM shows the extraordinary in the everyday.”

Technology

Swift (iOS)
Kotlin (Android)
PHP/Symfony backend
AWS Services (SQS, S3)
Firebase authenticatie

Partnerships

Hema & Fuji integration

iOS app
Android app

Yearbook

Through the feedback from users, Thomas noticed that they experienced the app as something very personal and valuable. "They were really happy with the app and that motivated us to develop it further."

The first step in 2014 was to add an extra dimension, in the form of a print-ready yearbook. PYM users could have their photos printed very easily at the end of the year. All at the touch of a button, in a 10x10 cm photo booklet. ‘A look back at their year. A personal logbook in photos.’

We partnered with Hema, for the production of the yearbooks. Foreign orders are handled by Fuji Print. The back-end, including the links with the Hema and Fuji ordering sites was built by Harborn.”

These PYM booklets are now all over the world, even China. "I sometimes receive spontaneous enthusiastic emails from loyal users with a picture of the pile of PYM booklets that they’ve collected. That makes me very happy!”

“90 percent of the app revolves around technology”

"Thanks to the help of Harborn, we have continued to improve the app, both in front of and behind the scenes. I worked with the company, Appetite, through them I came into contact with Harborn, for further development of the back-end. Appetite, a specialist in mobile apps, was taken over by Harborn in 2019. That was wonderful, I then had one partner for both front and back-end.

They really think constructively and creatively. A good concept is one thing, but 90 percent of this app revolves around technology. If you really want to make a success of it, you have to make sure that the right technology is on board. We have been able to improve data processing, the infrastructure is now 100 percent scalable and ready for further growth. You have to have everything perfectly in place: storage, security, privacy safeguards, etcetera. Keep in mind that we now manage millions of photos, sometimes more than 12,000 photos are uploaded within a minute.”

Harborn uses a serverless solution from AWS (Amazon Web Services). Which means that the daily data surge is no problem. AWS works on a pay-per-use basis: so PYM only pays for what the app actually uses. "The automatic scalability (autoscaling) also guarantees that we can continue to grow in the coming years without any major adjustments or hiccups. After all, growth is important to be able to further develop and maintain the app."

Bestel je PYM boekje. App Picyourmoment.

More options, more users

Growth in possibilities and number of users, Thomas clarifies: "That goes hand in hand. In the near future, for example, we will be introducing a larger print ready A4 photo booklet, where captions that users already add to the photo, can also be printed. Users can also choose one extra photo opportunity per day. It’s now possible to create an extra album in the app and specify the period for which the photos are printed. So you’re no longer tied to a yearbook.”

Users can now also create a PYM album with others, and have their own version printed and delivered worldwide. "Not to turn it into a social media app. It remains your personal diary, so private. For example, you can share an album with your partner, in the run-up to a wedding. Or to record your child's first year. The other day, I received an email from someone who, together with her three sisters, made a diary for their parents. As a kind of daily glimpse into their lives."

PYM also has a public album. There you can see what someone else's world looks like at that very moment. "You can decide for each photo, whether you want to show your PYM there. Always anonymously. You can't “like” it, it's purely for inspiration. The public album is also only 50 photos. Your photo is only shown for a short time, and then disappears forever."

On to a million users?

"Well, a million is a lot, but it’s a simple and universal concept. I saw in the analytics, that we already have one or more users in 170 countries. So that's pretty good ;-)

It’s important that we keep PYM simple and clear for the users. Offering original, high-quality print products. Next year we will be introducing PYMpostcards that you can send from the app. And PYMpresent: the app plus the booklet as an original gift."

All growth comes from word-of-mouth. Thomas: "Up to now, we haven't really done anything about marketing. Happy users are the best recruiters. I am convinced that we can grow substantially in the coming years. We are creating something beautiful, with all our knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm. A product that users enjoy and that we have every opportunity to successfully develop further.

Technology and software never stand still, so we must continue to focus and invest in them. That applies to all the ideas and plans that PYM still has. Together with Harborn, we will undoubtedly continue to make the right choices."

Harm-Jan

Project Lead

Would you like more information? Pick your moment!

How nice that you've read our case. Have you downloaded the PicYourMoment app? Have you started your PYM? Have you got a cool idea that we can help you with? Call or mail us. There’s no time like the present.

Call us or send us an e-mail!

+316 4126 4306 harmjan.roskam@harborn.com