What is The Independent Education Consultants?
An education consultancy based in Oxford. It advises parents of students in the United Kingdom and overseas on school choice, university preparation and mentoring for children who are struggling at school.
What did the client need?
Two things, solved by one app:
- A simple age-to-school-year calculator. The team had been “counting on our fingers” to match a child’s date of birth to their year in school.
- A stronger online presence to reach more parents interested in its services.
The client supplied only its logo, the app name and a spreadsheet containing the age calculation and the content.
What did the team build?
Two mobile apps and a web widget, all designed from scratch.
| Product | Used by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| iOS and Android apps | Parents, schools, admissions boards | Turn a child’s date of birth into an individual school-year result for the British education system |
| Web widget | Desktop visitors | Offers the same calculation on the consultancy’s WordPress website |
| Design and UX | Everyone | The look and feel of every page, the user journey and the app’s functionality, all designed by the team |
How did the project run?
- 1
Clear plan first. The client chose Intelivita from 3–4 vendors because of a clear delivery timeframe and a plan that was easy to understand.
- 2
Design from a spreadsheet. The team turned the client’s spreadsheet of rules and content into the app’s calculation, screens and user journey.
- 3
One point of contact. A project manager handled communication over Basecamp and Skype, and called back promptly.
- 4
Launch. The apps launched in September 2019, about two months after the project began.
What was the result?
Parents, schools and admissions boards now use the app to make education decisions. People who gave feedback described it as a clear, simple solution, and the web widget is used by many visitors.
Schools have suggested extending it to other education systems, for example for students moving from a British school to one in the United States.
What did the client say?
“They have a strong ability to listen to our needs and deliver in a very efficient timescale.”
Catherine Stoker
Owner and Managing Director, The Independent Education Consultants · Clutch review, October 2019
| Overall | Quality | Schedule | Cost | Willing to refer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
On the results: “Schools and institutions have taken a real interest in it… Overall, we’ve been received positively. The web widget, especially, is used by many.”
Ratings out of 5, from a phone interview with the client by a Clutch analyst. Read the full review.
How much does a simple calculator app cost?
This project cost about £4,000 in 2019 for iOS and Android apps and a web widget built around one clear calculation. Apps with user accounts, payments or content management cost more. Most apps we build cost between £5,000 and £150,000. See what affects app development cost.