A renowned auction house goes mobile with a cost-effective solution

Waddington's, a respected Canadian auction house since 1850, is known for its wide range of appraisal services. In 2007, the company made a big move by holding its first online auction, marking its shift towards digital. The journey progressed in 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis, when they approached us to develop a user-friendly auction mobile app and custom video conferencing tool for remote appraisals to scale their operation and provide even better flexibility to their clients.

THE CHALLENGE

The need for better flexibility

Our client wanted to expand their live-streamed auctions online, especially with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. They were looking for a custom-made mobile app to increase the frequency and value of their online auctions while keeping their customers satisfied. Here are the key objectives we identified for the project:

THE PROCESS

Creating a cost-effective yet high-performing mobile app

We selected React Native for our mobile auction platform due to its exceptional balance of flexibility, performance, and efficiency. This choice helped us offer a smooth, dependable auction experience while allowing our client to reach a wide range of mobile users securely and at a lower cost. All in all, our technology choice was justified by the following:

Utilizing a single codebase, we cut development time by 40%, allowing significant cost savings for our client.

React Native's capability for real-time data updates is crucial in the fast-paced auction environment, enabling instantaneous bid refreshes and user notifications.

The framework's native-like performance ensures a smooth, responsive user experience on both iOS and Android, which is the key to maintaining user engagement during live auctions.

The ability to seamlessly integrate advanced features such as the camera, GPS, and third-party plugins allows us to create a feature-rich, user-friendly auction experience.

React Native’s scalability ensures that as our platform grows, the app can efficiently handle increased user traffic and auction activity.

Transitioning from web to mobile functionality

Our client previously operated a web-based auction platform to conduct online auctions. The task at hand was to transition this existing web functionality to a mobile environment while adding a few enhancements.

The new mobile application not only mirrored the web-based auction system's capabilities but also introduced several new features to enhance the customer experience.

We added new ID verification measures to enhance safety and reduce the risk of fraud.

Users can now easily view upcoming auctions, allowing them to plan their participation more effectively.

Detailed descriptions and high-quality photos of each lot, enabling informed bidding decisions.

Users can place bids and set their max bids seamlessly, enhancing the auction experience.

Secure transactions are now facilitated through Stripe.

To cater to the diverse international audience, we've added support for English, French, and Chinese languages.

Global bidding is made simpler with local currency prices, thanks to our built-in currency converter.

Users can now stay updated on bids and auctions with convenient push notifications.

Developing the custom auctions functionality

Additionally, we've developed a new admin panel and made enhancements to Waddington's website, enabling them to lisence their in-house auction platform to galleries, artists, and other organizations. This initiative was aligned with Waddington's goal to expand their partner network, openning new revenue opportunities.

Our custom-built WordPress panel, featuring robust branding and customization capabilities, supports a more cohesive and branded auction process. This empowers artists, collectors, and other partners of Waddington's to effectively showcase and sell their artwork through the platform.

Integrated with the WordPress-based bidding backend, the website, and the mobile app, the staff admin panel functions as an extension of the existing platform, streamlining operations and enhancing user experience.

Designing a PoC for a remote appraisal video tool with Agora SDK

Our goal was to develop a proof of concept (PoC) for a custom video tool connecting the auction house with clients for remote appraisals. A key feature of this tool is enabling experts (with the client's consent) to remotely control a client's camera during a video call, allowing them to capture photos of art of interest.

To achieve this, we utilized the Agora SDK within a React Native mobile application for Waddington's clients. Additionally, we developed a custom Node.js backend to support real-time updates and an admin panel for the auction house staff.

Agora SDK integration

Central to our solution is the Agora SDK, which enables real-time video communication and the unique feature of remote camera control for capturing high-resolution images and videos. We chose Agora for its cost-effectiveness compared to Twilio and Vonage, as well as its advanced security and scalability features. However, working with the tool presented several challenges:

We took on the challenge of ensuring high-quality video calls, guaranteeing smooth performance regardless of network conditions. Our approach included adaptive bitrate streaming, allowing for dynamic quality adjustments, and fallback options for situations where network conditions are less than optimal. This ensured clear communication at all times.

Recognizing the limitations of Agora's real-time engagement capabilities, we innovatively expanded the app's functionality. We added specialized features such as remote camera control to enhance the remote appraisal experience, providing users with additional tools and functionalities beyond the standard features.

Ensuring security

We prioritized security by utilizing Agora for secure video transmissions, coupled with encrypted data storage and transfer to our Node.js backend.

Within the React Native app, we've implemented stringent authentication protocols to ensure that only authorized interactions can initiate camera control, enhancing overall security.

We've taken measures to safeguard data integrity by ensuring that media transfer to the backend occurs over encrypted channels. Additionally, data is stored securely within the database to prevent unauthorized access.

Custom API development

To bridge the React Native app with the Node.js backend, we crafted custom RESTful APIs, enabling smooth data flow for scheduling, media storage, and client-item record updates.

Device compatibility

Adapting to ever-changing mobile technologies, we kept our app up-to-date to support new devices and OS updates, ensuring everyone stays connected without a hitch.

THE RESULT

We're proud to say that we've earned a strong reputation and gained the trust of Waddington's team over the years. Kultprosvet is helping Waddington’s to support and enhance their auction platform to this day: