Client: Block Party
Industry: Social Networking and Online Safety
Size: Seed-funded ($4.8M), serving thousands of users

Challenge

Block Party sets out to make the internet safer by building robust privacy and anti-harassment tools. Their mission required a software solution that could:

• Provide an intuitive UX for managing large volumes of posts.
• Integrate real-time synchronisation with Twitter.
• Process and mute harassment efficiently using custom rules.
• Ensure fast production cycles to support investor pitches.
• Enable Quality Assurance (QA) testing on production without risking live operations.

The challenge lay in balancing the complexity of anti-harassment features with speed, reliability, and security.

Solution

Itekako collaborated with Block Party to deliver a seamless web application that integrated critical privacy and anti-harassment features. Key solutions included:

1. Lazy Loading for Posts: Improved performance and scalability by loading posts dynamically.
2. Twitter API Integration: Real-time synchronisation ensured smooth data updates for users.
3. Harassment Detection: Custom rules were implemented to identify and mute harmful content automatically.
4. Feature Flags: Enabled risk-free production releases, allowing fast rollouts and agile responses to feedback.
5. Risk-Free QA on Production: QA testing on live environments was made possible without compromising user experience or data integrity.

Results

• Enhanced User Control: Intuitive UX tools empowered users to manage and protect their online spaces more effectively.
• Investor Confidence: Rapid prototyping and delivery allowed Block Party to showcase a functional product to investors, securing valuable funding and support.
• Seamless Performance: Real-time syncing and robust backend processes ensured high reliability under growing user demands.

Technology Stack

• Frontend: React
• Backend: Python, Django
• Database: Postgres

Project Duration: 3 years
Team Size: 3 developers and 1 designer

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