Search Results - How To

What is the best way to set up iOS local notifications using custom UIPickerViews?

Why is it so important for developers to keep the end-user in mind?

How to turn an iPhone into an iBeacon

How can UX Designers optimise typography for accessibility?

How we automate our AAB deployment to the Google PlayStore

A few simple things to help engage your team in their work.

We look at what's involved in creating and testing a Custom Hook

We’ve developed a Slackbot to help you track your team members happiness, and improve your team’s wellbeing.

Using React Native in the real world - how to build an RPM meter to measure the speed of your record player / turntable.

How are you going to make your retail app offering really stand out from the crowd?

How to configure Ktor in a Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile project to trust all SSL certificates

How can you customise the Braintree dropin UI in React Native?

Why proof of concepts matter

Multi Schema WSDL and separate packages

In this blog we’ll uncover the mystery of retainer agreements; what are they used for and what are the benefits of having one?

Our values are the basis for how we conduct ourselves, make decisions and grow as a team.

For non-designers, it can be hard to understand why the process can take so long - surely it’s not that hard to make an aesthetically pleasing app that users will come back to? And isn’t that the most important thing? Spoiler alert: no.

The events of 2020 gave most of us cause to rethink the ways we work.

We are so proud that our new studio has been awarded Best Working Environment (Silver) in the UK Company Culture Awards.

A guide to setting up independent UIPickerViews

Work meetings can easily be seen as a necessary evil, something as an individual you have to endure whilst as an organisation you have to initiate.

Unavoidable hybrid meetings require careful thought to be effective.

There’s no denying how satisfying it is when your camera magically knows what you're pointing it at. But often it's not quite right. So, we need the ability to focus the camera ourselves.

A guide to mastering the Art of Push Notifications for mobile app development

Like many, I have been thrust into the completely new situation of leading our team remotely.

Way back at WWDC 2014, there were a number of noteworthy releases from Apple. One that gathered perhaps a little less attention was the adoption of the XLIFF file format.

How to use slack to post your location

These are some of the common ways of working with arrays.

This article will explain the process we went through to build a custom Android media controller, as well as a sample project to help you build your own.

For all Android app developers tackling the issue of scrolling, read on. In this article we share how to extend the ListAdapter with a Header View in Android.

The role of a UX designer ensuring a good accessibility experience doesn’t stop at the development stage

Using Google Pay and ThreeDSecure with the Braintree Drop-in UI returns a CardNonce instead of a GooglePaymentCardNonce. Here's the solution to that

WFH. Social distancing. Furlough. These are some of the terms that have become the new normal in this strange time.

At Brightec, we love learning and when we learn something new, we love sharing it with others. That’s why I wrote this article - to share how you can create a barcode in Kotlin Android like I did.

We've been busy creating vector drawables for Android using Sketch.

How we went about creating tooling to maintain high-quality code.

How to use JAXWS to generate HTTP client code using the Gradle Kotlin DSL.

How to implement certificate pinning in Kotlin Multiplatform using Ktor

How we learnt to praise each other honestly and openly to get the most out of our team.

When tough times hit your business, how do you bounce back?

How to take an extended break that benefits you and your company

In light of Covid restrictions, we’ve had to completely reassess how to run user tests to be both safe and effective. Here’s what we’ve discovered so far

Miro has been a key tool for Brightec’s User Research for several years now. This blog looks at how we have harnessed its AI tools to streamline our process.

A how-to guide on writing tests within Kotlin Multiplatform.

We look at how some of the AI tools work, why Google needs to respond to OpenAI and Microsoft and what this means for the sector.

In this article, we will share how we used WebSockets to enable two devices to communicate with each other.

This blog briefly explores each of the main design tools we use at Brightec to demonstrate how, and why, they are used.

Answering the question of how we "actually" do culture is critical to our growth.

Alistair pinpoints how and where to define your user-facing strings.

We wanted to make sharing our apps with testers easier, Nick explains how we went about it

Our operations dashboard enabled us to spot an opportunity to utilise time for team building. This blog explains the thinking behind ‘The Brightec Holiday Hackathon’ and how it played out for our team.

Effective data analysis can help businesses in many areas. But how do you get to a position where you can analyse the data?

Over the years, I have learnt a lot about how best to run teams. Although the job is never ‘done’, the last 12 months’ events have prompted an opportunity to write a blog series exploring the most poignant lessons that have stuck with us at Brightec.

You know how it is. People ask how you are, and as humans, we tend to give a generic answer. We can tell you we’re doing well. But what’s really going on behind what you see and hear from Brightec at the moment?

How to create a custom camera view controller that replicates the functionality and UI that’s found in the system camera app.

If you’re thinking of developing a mobile commerce app for your retail business, the biggest question you’re probably asking yourself is: how do we create something our customers will genuinely want to use, and keep them coming back?

How is it possible that after five years in Vantage Point, we’re leaving behind a space that reflected our values for so long? I thought I’d take a few moments to explain our thinking and what might be next.

We love to learn by studying and sharing the knowledge of our business and the projects we work on. We never want to settle for ok and testing our apps with real users enables us to continually improve and deliver products that exceed expectations.

Here we explore some key reasons why every Software Developer should blog

As an employer, we recognise our responsibility to support our staff. Our ethos is for work to be enjoyable but that life, health and happiness are more important.

A simple solution to securely storing client and application secrets when using Google Cloud Platform

Perhaps the most important part of software development is acquiring feedback from users. There are multiple efficient ways to do this for mobile app development. Two of the most prevalent are Firebase App Distribution and Testflight. Here are the pros and cons of each and what we use them for.

Like many organisations, Brightec were introduced to a new word earlier this year - ‘furlough’.

We value the joy in both life and work. A good balance between the two goes hand in hand with productivity.

What you can do to give a developer the best chance of finding the bug, recreating it and thus, squashing it as soon as possible

We’ve put together a list of 10 things we’ve done to promote our team happiness level

Almost two months in, and it still feels like a dream that I was able to break into the tech industry from a non-traditional background, and start working for a company that truly cherishes its employees.

In the first of this four-part series documenting our journey to building an inspiring company culture, we focus on training.

Brightec firmly believes it is possible to experience joy in work and through work. In this blog, we take our eyes off the mince pies for a few minutes to look back at our highlights of 2023.

Why setting up automation is always worth it

A quick guide to developing Top Shelf content for a tvOS app.

We explore Test Driven Development with an AI twist!

Simple steps for writing better user stories for you and your team.

Firebase offers an ‘out-the-box’ functionality to customise In-App Messages. But there is an easier way

We're delighted to partner with AquAid as they strive to make a difference to people's lives.

A historic look at the blog posts around Brightec's relationship with office spaces

Joining any new team can be daunting. And probably never more true than joining a team renowned for its outstanding company culture.

We’ll be covering some of the basics to make our React Native apps more accessible to all users.

We've been running regular R&D sessions since the end of 2014, and this is what we’ve learnt so far.

At the end of a busy year, we’ve taken a moment to pause and reflect on all this year has been.

Introducing Dan; our fun, adventurous and passionate nomadic Software Engineer

Our big vision for this year was ‘Rhys plus one’. We did a little more...

We could be utterly passionate or utterly considerate, but the middle ground is where we want to be.

Insights and considerations of using Kotlin Multiplatform as a Software Engineer

A great-looking, seamless retail app design that focuses on delivering an exceptional shopping experience is the holy grail for successful online retail business.

A sound understanding of what it is to do creative work and get the job done is vital for team health and long-term client relationships.

Openness, honesty and frankness lead us to the most creative and best work.

Remote working games and working from home activities for you and your team.

What do we mean when discussing accessibility, what standards do we align to, and why should we and our clients care enough to invest in this?

Creating a phone number which plays podcasts over the phone from an RSS feed or JSON object

Getting the most out of regular team research and development time.

Technology is in a constant flux of evolution and we always want to stay ahead of the game. So much so that we’re jumping the gun with this one…

I love helping individuals and teams grow and succeed and overcome bigger and more audacious challenges. It doesn't happen on autopilot, even with great people. Actually, having the best people makes it an even more difficult, but crucial, endeavour.

What are some of the thought-processes and tools we use at Brightec to ensure we are meeting, and indeed exceeding, accessibility standards?

Why we strongly think your agency should monitor billable time

Brightec favours flexible working, over remote working. This blog reflects on the last few years, our decisions and the choices that led to where we are now

Mastering Slack: Best Practices and our tips for Streamlined Communication

Rate The App - Part One: The story of creating an Android Library.

This blog is an insight into the thinking behind creating our new software engineering career framework.

Jotham shares the spreadsheet he uses to guide our clients in building out a product backlog

Using motion can subtly educate Android users about how objects move and interact with each other

When it comes to ecommerce app creation, a customer-led approach is key.

We ventured deep into the countryside to find ourselves…

In this article, we explain one of the most confusing UILabel properties - preferredMaxLayoutWidth.

When one of your customers chooses to download your retail app, they’ve made a commitment to you.

Our Stand-Ups weren’t serving us as best they could, but its nothing a freshly brewed coffee couldn’t solve.

This glossary explains some common app development terms you'll come across when working with us

We want to articulate our job roles and responsibilities as effectively as our company culture.

When lockdown started, I used to think that the main risk to the productivity of my working day would be interruptions from my kids...

Meet our curious and determined Software Engineer, Mo

What does it mean to be a Customer-centric business, and why does it matter?

What if I was bold enough to say that developing empathy is the most crucial skill that any creative team can continue to grow. Would you agree?

With all the energy of a loveable puppy, Simon brings a wealth of creative expertise and strategic vision to the Brightec team

Project Structure Strategies for Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS projects

Brightec wouldn’t exist without Andy, and his garden shed

Meet Ben, Brightec’s Product Manager

Meet our Android-enthusiast, Alistair

His Uncle invented the Black+Decker Jigsaw; a claim to fame that has us in pieces. But it's no puzzle where our Head of Design gets his creativity from…

A team that eats together, stays together…. And we’re doing the best we can.

At Brightec we are colleagues but we are also friends. We value our connection as a team and whilst another lockdown means we can’t meet socially, or share lunch times in the same way, it hasn’t beaten our spirit. Feeling connected is key.

The Brightec team is delighted to have been recognised as the Best App Development Agency of 2021

We can now use async and await to help write cleaner code with Swift 5.5

Knowing where inspiration comes from means that our 'creating' doesn't become a factory line of churning out the same old thing.

Native mobile app or swanky responsive website? Which should you pick?

Why asking ‘why’ is vital in good mobile app development

Our Designer Elle won the DevelopHER Award for User Experience

Is it just me or do the words ‘refactor’ and ‘rearchitect’ fill you with dread?

What are the best content delivery platforms for applications?

Meet our Technical Director Chris. He'll hate that we've written an entire blog about him.

This blog summarises what I’ve learned and the resources I used to build an iOS app from scratch

With a career chronicle more varied than most and a love of Sci-fi, we’re honoured to have kept Steve grounded on planet Brightec since 2015

The story of how I recently became a UI/UX Designer at Brightec.

We’re loving working in-person with the team again, and welcoming clients to our new home on the river

There’s nothing like the perfect image to make your app shine. But what if you want your app users to actually engage and interact with an image? Maybe they want to zoom in, pan around, really get to grips with the pixels?

Meet Georgia, our globe-trotting Head of Operations

What is mockk.io and why have we adopted it in our team?

Meet our free-spirited designer, Annie

Here are some of our favourite tried and tested ways to serve our team and be a great employer

It’s all very well having the best idea for an app, but you’re going to need your final product to match that great idea you had at the beginning. That’s where QA comes in.

Why do I need to gather feedback through my live mobile app?

Steve explores the role virtual reality could play in future software development

Before we welcome the new year, let's first reflect and appreciate all that came in 2021

How RFCs can help your team collaborate asynchronously, streamline planning, and create more effective technical plans

Ed attended the UX conference Interact 2015 and penned his thoughts.

2020 is a year no-one will forget for a multitude of reasons. Here's the year at Brightec in review

Is there an easy way to improve font management across a multi-disciplined team?

We look back at all of the exciting things 2019 has brought us.

When it comes to online shopping and retail apps, the moment of checkout is a decisive point in the shopping flow.

This series celebrates the achievements, acknowledgements and awards we have won

Updates that make a huge increase to checkout conversion rates.

Our advice on designing and building apps for Android TV.

We're really excited that MDHub awarded Brightec an award for happiness.

Meet our down to earth developer with a passion for coding and capoeira

"What is an Android Spinner?" – A common question with a less than obvious answer. In this article, we look at what an Android Spinner is and where it is used.

Say ‘aloe’ to our plant loving designer, Elle

As 2015 screeches to a halt, we thought we’d take a few minutes to look back on some of the stories here at Brightec in the last 12 months.

Do you subscribe to the philosophy that pull requests should be a pleasure to review? This blog explores several ways in which this can be achieved.

And, a lesson in why you should name everything semantically

There are many control flow statements in Swift, far too many to cover in 1 post. Here we'll just briefly look at the if and guard statements.

In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of creativity and innovation in the tech industry, to celebrate World Creativity & Innovation Day this Friday (21st April).

Is there really anything worse than someone else’s code?

So far in this series, we’ve looked at training, motivation and reward. But what about where, when and how the work happens?

We’ve recently been recognised for six separate industry awards.

Would there be an ‘iWatch’? What would the iPhone 6 deliver?

Using the new and improved AnimatedVectorDrawable to pause and seek your animations.

A standard feature of most programming languages is enumerations, allowing you to define a group of related items.

‘Anyone want any cold pizza?’ Our thoughts on the Apple Spring Forward Event.