Spearheading the year long process of the Duotone Academy APP

Duotone Kiteboarding Launch Academy App Project Manager Patrick Dudek

It’s one thing is to be a part of a project, another to be taking the reigns. Patrick Dudek, part of the in-house marketing team, saw the potential of the Academy and APP. Rising to the challenge of Project Manager, he cultivated a team of passionate kiters with the skills needed to bring all the elements to life. One year later, we are proud to launch the Duotone Academy APP. Here’s what he had to say.

Duotone Kiteboarding Academy App Launch Project Manager Patrick Dudek

How has this project been in general?

This project is one of the biggest marketing projects in the kiteboarding industry ever. My team and I knew that, which is why we were super motivated from start to finish. 
 

Can you tell us a little bit about the development that goes into creating an APP and project of this size.

As Project Manager, it was challenging but very exciting as we recognised the huge potential and technical advantages of an APP in combination with the Kiteboarding academy. It was very important for me that the team members working on the APP knew their role in the project, brought passion for kitesurfing to the table and enjoyed seeing it come to life. It’s safe to say that the APP is made by kiteboarders for kiteboarders. 

We worked on the project for over a year and were confronted with many challenges, mainly because there was nothing like it out there. In the end, we exceeded all expectations, for example, instead of delivering 60 video clips we filmed over 135. Although it took longer than planned, it was important that the end product met all requirements and functionality of a top quality digital application. I am really excited to see the feedback from the kite community and we hope that you will all be on your way to redefining your limits. 
 

What were the most challenging moments you encountered?

The hardest thing was the endless discussions with my development team. I don´t mean that in a negative way, but a positive one. It was so important to get everything right and we were our biggest critics, questioning every little detail of our first concept. We had to do it this way in order to meet the expectations of our users. 

Then there was the constant stream of ideas, but we needed to stay focused and prioritise the features that would be the most important and fitting to the academy. This APP should be easy to use, fun and add value to every session. That was our goal and I think my team did an amazing job. It’s a great example of teamwork.

Duotone Kiteboarding Academy App Launch Project Manager Patrick Dudek

What makes the hard work so worthwhile? 

 

Definitely the feedback from our team riders, CEO, colleagues, friends etc. They love it and the idea behind it. Duotone has so many parts to it, but we know we made the right decision to focus on the Academy. 
So far there’s been no negative feedback which makes us very proud. It’s unique and totally original.

 
Talk to us about the building process of the APP.

 

It was very challenging to understand development process in detail. I am good with computers and I have some basic coding skills, but I trusted my team completely and they did an amazing job in the end.

What makes this APP unique and why should people join up?

It’s a first within kiteboarding industry. We created plenty of cool features which makes the APP very intuitive and interactive:

  • More then 150 Tricks!
  • Upload your own videos. Chat with the community to get analysis and help
  • Swipe it: Vote for Videos in the community
  • Advance your skill level: Whatever your level is, the APP will know what´s next for you!
  • Offline function.
  • Get in touch with your idols: We bring you and our team even closer together. Get tips and learn from the best kitesurfers in the world.