Customer service done right with Escea's fully customised app

Delivering an interactive and personable experience

Voyage was brought onboard to build the Design Your Fire (DYF) solution. The aim was to create a tool that captured the customisation available to customers, enhance customer engagement and showcase the new electrical fireplace product line.

To launch this new line, Escea was hosting an important event for stakeholders and customers alike, with many flying into Dunedin for the occasion. With six weeks up their sleeves, the Voyage team had to hit the ground running.

Escea's DYF tool was developed using Next.js and React, was hosted on Vercel, and built on Sanity CMS for a seamless user experience. The Voyage team included functionality that allows customers to personalise fireplace by features such as glass type, dimensions, heat output, efficiency and remote control options.

Interactive views were designed to offer different angles, night and TV modes, and enhance the user's ability to envision the fireplace in their own space. The tool was also made to handle product variations and specifications tailored to different markets, a crucial element for Escea’s international offerings.

Next.js and React formed the foundation for frontend development and interactive user interfaces. The Sanity CMS was chosen for its flexibility in managing content across various platforms, including kiosks and the website. GROQD facilitated efficient querying within Sanity, optimising data retrieval and management, and Tailwind CSS, Radix UI + ShadCN were used to establish a cohesive design system, ensuring consistency and flexibility in UI components.

A collaborative approach between Escea’s team and Voyage’s experts ensured design aesthetics were aligned with a responsive layout and backend. Agile methodologies were employed so the team could meet the tight timelines and facilitate iterative development. Throughout the entire process, the emphasis was on intuitive navigation and visual appeal to engage and excite customers on the way to acquiring their new fireplace.

Having a global team proved to be a big benefit for Voyage, with last minute requirements making a tight deadline even tighter. With the event fast approaching, the New Zealand team were notified of a last minute change just as they were logging off for the day. The London developer duo, Jess Small and Keziah Rackley-Gale, who had led the majority of the project, were able to pick up where the Kiwi team left off, helping to bring the project to a close.

The Voyage team effectively completed the DYF tool, with all browser compatibility requirements accounted for, and with ample flexibility built in to accommodate future changes and updates. At Escea’s electrical fire launch event, the DYF tool significantly enhanced customer engagement and satisfaction, driving sales of the company’s high-end fireplace products.

Escea’s collaboration with Voyage on the DYF tool is an excellent example of how powerful digital solutions can enhance customer interaction and omnichannel success. By leveraging technologies such as Sanity CMS and a collaborative development process, Escea continues to maintain its spot as a leader in the fireplace industry, catering to a global audience with personalised and interactive experiences.

The DYF project is another win for Voyage as we continue to be committed to shipping tailored, impactful digital solutions that align with client goals and empower businesses to rise to the top of a competitive marketplace.