The solution

Intervention of the Digital Technologies team at Synesthesia further improved the user experience, with a particular focus on ensuring smooth communication between the app and the website.

Thanks to an in-depth analysis and targeted work on various aspects of the code and features, the app was progressively made more stable and performant, improving the user experience and operational continuity.

Results

Working with Synesthesia is always a pleasure. Their expertise and ability to listen have allowed us to develop several IT solutions for IndaBox, which have significantly improved the experience of our users. From the first meeting, the Synesthesia team has demonstrated great professionalism and attention to our needs, making every phase of the project simple and stimulating.
Giovanni Riviera,  Head of IT

The solution

Word Ladders is a game that allows players to test their vocabulary and attempt to create the longest possible “ladder” by adding words to each rung. However, not all words earn points. Players start by adding increasingly generic words above the given word (e.g., apple → fruit → food). The longer the ladder, the more points are scored.

The development of Word Ladders involved active collaboration with the client, who fully managed the data analysis phase and word algorithm. In addition to the refactoring activities, Synesthesia’s Technologies team worked on implementing the following features:

• statistics section with scores related to game activity.
• real-time updated leaderboard section (with search filter options).
• badges section with goals that players can achieve based on their performance.
• tutorial section detailing all the features and various game modes.
• information section about the initiative.

Synesthesia’s development activities were carried out using the following technologies: React Native for the front end and Node.JS for the back end.

For further information on the scientific objectives behind the creation of the game, the privacy policy, and other app documentation, please visit the academic project’s website.

Results

“The collaboration between Synesthesia and our research group at the University of Bologna has brought Word Ladders to life, a mobile app that is not only a linguistic game but also contributes to research on linguistic thought and improves the language skills of players in both Italian and English. Synesthesia’s professionalism was reflected in their cohesive, young, and dynamic team, who tackled every stage of the project with commitment, proactivity, and, above all, calmness in handling challenges. We appreciated the genuine interest shown by Synesthesia’s members in the scientific challenges that inspired this app, an interest that made us feel understood and supported. This partnership represents an excellent example of synergy between the academic and industrial worlds, inspiring innovation and scientific progress”.

Marianna Marcella Bolognesi (Coordinator of the Abstraction project under which Word Ladders was developed, and Associate Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Modern Cultures at the University of Bologna).

The solution

Synesthesia developed the mobile app‘s front end (available for iOS and Android) and its back end/office.

Artificial Intelligence (CoreAI), developed by the University of Turin and the Polytechnic University of Turin, plays a crucial role by creating an ideal itinerary for visitors. It selects and matches artworks based on preferences chosen via tags. The app also enables museums to modify information about exhibits (history and images of the artworks) in real time, enhancing interaction with visitors.
The app includes specific features across three main sections:

• “Museums” – allows the visitor to virtually explore the rooms and browse through all the exhibits. The function also allows the visitor to plan the visit by displaying previously chosen stops.
• “Routes” – the user chooses the museums, works or routes he or she prefers. Two types of routes are available: an intra-museum route (involving works from a single museum) and an inter-museum route (with works from several museums). Their management is regulated by DatoCMS, which allows the museum curator to have autonomy in editing their own content
• “Stops” – Visitors can directly access artworks suggested by the app based on their interests.

I-Muse, developed with React Native, provides visitors access to information about exhibited artworks and routes through secure and anonymous interaction with sensors (iBeacons) present in museums. This solution enables effective analysis of how visitors engage with certain points of interest, allowing museums to improve their offerings accordingly. I-Muse is built on cloud and serverless technologies (AWS) to support the growing number of app users and coordinate all the data coming from the sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms.

The app features two key AI algorithms:

1. CoreAI – Offers personalized information on artworks and museum routes;
2. V-Predict – Predicts museum attendance based on historical data.

In addition, DatoCMS was used, allowing us to create text and multimedia content dynamically through modular blocks and customisable components. This data is then displayed within the apps, always up-to-date.
The DatoCMS API is able to deliver content via a content distribution network, whose datacentres are located all over the world. When a page request is made, the content is delivered to the user from the nearest server, making the response fast and with low latency.

The app interacts with Dropper.ai sensors (a dashboard showing real-time museum visits, dwell times and routes taken by visitors) and iBeacons (sensors that hook up to the phone’s Bluetooth and interact with the app providing useful information to the user approaching the work) positioned at key points in the museums in order to obtain valuable information on visitor flows and enables future predictions.

Finally, I-Muse includes the gaming function developed by the company Garycom, which allows visitors to play with the collections present using 7 different video games. The interactive experience is definitely immersive.

Results

As Vincenzo Mollisi (Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turin and project contact person) argues:

“The project originated from a call for proposals funded by the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation and aims to introduce artificial intelligence into museums. We are university researchers with an academic and not an entrepreneurial background: we had expertise in prediction and algorithms, but not in app creation. Synesthesia helped us by providing support in the development, contributing decisively to the completion of the project”.

Nadia Campaniello (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Turin and Project Contact Person):

“We won the first edition of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation’s call for proposals on Artificial Intelligence in the ‘culture’ sector. Our project involved four departments: two from the Politecnico, the Department of Automation and Informatics and the Department of Architecture and Design, and two from the University of Turin, the Department of Economic-Social Sciences and Mathematics and the Department of Management. This is a very ambitious project involving eight museums, which together account for approximately 64% of visitors to the Turin area. Four associations also participated, including the Associazione Abbonamento Musei, the Osservatorio Culturale del Piemonte and the Big Data Analysis Lab of the City of Turin. One of the components of the project is the I-Muse app, developed in synergy with Synesthesia. We relied on Synesthesia because it is a growing company that also has many other museum-related projects. They will continue to support us in perfecting the app, and we hope that other collaborations will emerge in the future”.

The solution

Synesthesia has contributed to the app’s development using native programming languages, Kotlin (for Android) and Swift (for iOS).Over the years, Wetaxi has gained a competitive edge through a compelling offering based on collaboration, transparency, and sharing.

The Wetaxi app allows users to know the cost of their ride upfront. Simply input the departure and destination points to receive a guaranteed maximum fare to pay.

Features and Highlights

“Synesthesia has been a key player in developing our project. They have been with us since we were just four people in our office. As a start-up, it’s crucial for us to bring expertise and resources into our company. Synesthesia enabled us to manage everything we couldn’t handle alone. From the beginning, they’ve supported us on the mobile and front-end (web) sides. We’ve always received high-level expertise, experience, and enthusiasm for working together”.

Massimiliano Curto, CEO of Wetaxi, February 6, 2020.

Further developments are currently underway to expand the service offering.

The solution

The app developed by Synesthesia, in collaboration with ARCHIbuzz, serves as an effective and immediate tool for shop owners to inform local citizens, via push notifications, about store hours, new products, and additional services offered, such as the option to receive groceries at home.

Features and Characteristics

During the health emergency, LastMinuteSottoCasa held the distinction of being the only app in Italy that enabled shop owners to directly inform citizens, via push notifications, about the various services available.
The app is available on iOS and Android stores.
L’app è disponibile sugli store iOS e Android.

The solution

With the Lumyer app, users can:

• Add up to three effects per photo
• Modify the position, size, and add text and logos to effects
• Adjust opacity
• Choose between square or 16:9 format (on iOS version)

Each photo comes to life with more than 500 animated effects.

For some of these effects, audio tracks are available (such as rain, snow, fireworks, and more).

Additionally, with the Live Lumy feature, users can create videos and add effects from the original library or a new library dedicated solely to video effects.

Results

The app is available in 9 languages (Italian, Chinese, French, Japanese, English, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Turkish). Public feedback, in terms of ratings and reviews, has been very positive: 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Store reviews, with 3,884 ratings (data updated as of July 2020).

How it all started

HiQ-Nano is an Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) startup focused on the design, manufacture and characterization of high-quality nanoparticles in the field of health and well-being. HiQ-Nano has launched iBlue, the first self-test to assess antioxidants levels. Fast, accurate and non-invasive, iBlue lets you know your body’s antioxidant status in just 5 minutes using a small sample of saliva. With iBlue you can carry out frequent and constant checks directly at home, without special skills or tools.

The result is visible both to the naked eye and through a mobile application.

Thanks to its use, it is possible to accurately identify the color of the test and provide a result that is as reliable as that obtained by a blood test in a specialised laboratory.

The solution

The application was developed by Synesthesia using Flutter and is available for both iOS and Android.

With its innovative design and well-structured UI, the app provides guidance and correct indications regarding dietary habits and lifestyle.

Additionally, the app incorporates gamification elements to encourage users to improve their physical condition.

The solution

The project focuses on the design and development of an app for children aged 12 to 17.

Mobile application, available on iOS and Android, provides understandable, rigorous, and detailed information on what constitutes a rights violation.

The user interface is simple and tailored to the target audience.

Young people are involved in the design phase (through targeted focus groups). The user experience is developed through “design thinking” activities and a design sprint, where final users and operators (selected by the University) collaborate with designers for rapid prototyping of the app.

Features and Characteristics

Children Digi-CORE represents an important opportunity to address current issues in a concrete way, promoting the well-being of young people. Today, it is essential to protect everyone’s future and spread awareness about the importance of respecting rights, especially those of the most vulnerable individuals.

The solution

The mobile app “MNC XR,” developed by Synesthesia for the National Cinema Museum of Turin, consists of four main sections:

• The Homepage, which provides an overview of the National Cinema Museum, accompanied by multimedia content.
• “Videomapping” section, where users can find the audio track to listen to in sync with the images projected on the Mole Antonelliana during the event days.
• The Events page, where users can find the latest news and upcoming events at the Museum.
• A large section dedicated to partners and sponsors.

Results

The division into four clear and intuitive sections ensures a pleasant and engaging in-app experience for the user.

The ability to listen through the application to audio tracks synchronised with the visual projections allows users to enjoy an immersive digital experience of the highest quality.

The solution

We contributed to the development of B2C applications for Reale Mutua Assicurazioni and Italiana Assicurazioni following a thorough analysis, especially focusing on the user experience (UX).

Our team handled the entire process, from design and planning to the implementation of the development pipeline, including quality assurance.

An Agile approach was adopted, with a Scrum team. Reale Mutua Assicurazioni’s Digital Factory participated actively in all stages of the app’s development. Prior to including us in the project, they had already conducted advanced research on flow, design, and development.
We provided essential support, particularly in UX design (UXD).

The project was divided into two waves:

• Wave 1: Replaced the previous app
• Wave 2: Introduced major updates starting in November 2020

Features and Characteristics

• Remote assistance systems (booking phone appointments, video consultations with operators, including video calls directly managed within the app with the user’s assigned agency)
• An engaging design
• Loyalty program management through dedicated reward schemes
• A new claims filing system directly from mobile

In Wave 2, an additional section integrated with health monitoring platforms like HealthKit and Google Fit, allowing the app to collect data on users’ physical activity. This data could potentially earn users additional bonuses on their policies.